Run
by Coonz
Summary: PostWar. Zutara. They have everything they dreamed they'd have at the end of such a horrible war. Peace, balance, and even the significant others they always dreamed of, but somehow they want more... Full summary inside.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

Run

Summary: 4yrsPostWar. They have everything they dreamed they'd have at the end of such a horrible war. Peace finally restored amongst the nations, balance finally back into villages and towns, and even the significant others they always dreamed they'd have, but somehow they want more, there's a restlessness and discontentment brewing in their hearts that they cant seem to silence. (zutara, sukka, and slight taang)

A/N: Well hello there, welcome to my very first Zutara fan fiction! I'm trying my very best at this so don't get all up in my grill about mistakes I will make (or already have)

Soo, get to reading!!

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar those last few minutes with Aang and Katara would not have been in the series finally. Plus, if I did own it why da eff would I be writing fan fictions and not a book 4 which we need so terribly? or not off trying to stop m. night whatshisface from ruining the live action movie even more then he already has with crap casting? because if I did own it, I would soo be doing that instead, and I'm not much, much to mine and your misfortune.  
okay, cool? cool.

* * *

(Prologue)

It had been four years since the war, four long years, yet everything seemed to have passed so fast and so blurred. Things had changed in a slow steady pace. The soldiers were withdrawn from their stations in the nations they occupied. Prisoners held for unlawful reasons released.  
Towns rebuilt, cities founded and families restructured. The failing economy in the Fire Nation finally starting to level out, much to the Fire Lord's relief.  
The earth and water nations were finally starting to warm up to the idea of the Fire Nation not being a awful country of soulless savages, much to the Avatar's and Waterbending Master's relief. The Avatar had even started to rebuild the Air Nation, recruiting people who wanted spiritual enlightenment and to lead a monk like lifestyle, though they could not bend air like the original nomads, the new colony of people appeased the Avatar well enough, though he spent most of his time with his girlfriend the master waterbender traveling the globe visiting cities that were plighted by the war encouraging peace of mind.  
The Fire Lord had found economical balance in taking the technology the nation had solely used for weaponry and war devices and turned it into inventions that helped build and not destroy, selling them all across the Earth Nation and to the Water Tribes in hopes to rebuild them to there former magnificence before all the raids. though he was successful as Fire Lord and regained financial balance, the peace he obtained was fragile, most of his people still saw him as a traitor of the nation. threat constantly loomed in the shadows for both the Avatar and Fire Lord, but it didn't seem to matter, they had achieved peace and the world was settling at last.

* * *

Chap 1:  
Such great heights

Zuko awoke with a start, jolting upward his gold silk sheets sticking to his skin which shone with a thin film of sweat.

He had another dream, or more properly titled a nightmare. It was the same one he had been having over the past few months, every other night or so he would wake with a jump, flashes of the nightmare dancing in his minds eye, making him sick to his stomach, and a dull pain behind his dried out eyes from lack of proper sleep, it was always the same dream, it ended and started the same...

_Everything was foggy and cold, he was standing in the center of the war room, his Uncle looked at him with sad and disappointed eyes, shaking his head in discontentment, then in a flash his expression would change to happiness with a wide smile and tears of joy in his eyes._  
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering his dream wondering what it could all possibly mean, he had written his Uncle about a few weeks prior but had yet to receive a response as the mail was slow since the Earth Nation was still suspicious of messagner hawks and it was all delivered by carrier.  
He almost wanted to write Aang about it, him being a spritual being he must of had some knowledge of dream meanings. But Zuko just shrugged the notion away, he was probaly just being to inquisteve about it, after it was only a dream.

The room spinned away shifting to different scene, he stood on the front of his old ship, the one he used to search for the Avatar all those years ago, he was in the South Pole or North Pole, he wasn't certain, the icy cold water splashed him in the face sending goose flesh down his arms.  
He heard a loud grinding noise, "My lord! The ship has been puncutered!" yelled a indistinguable voice. he was flipped face first into the ocean below.  
sinking, sinking, sinking.

Again the scene changed, he was at his house on Ember Island when he, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Katara and Aang had hid out there, it was the night when they had gone and seen they play depicting there lives, they were all laughing at Sokka's pathetic imitations of the actors while eating the dinner Katara had prepared.

The scene changed but more violently this time, his sister, Azula was cackling, sending a bolt of lightening into his unsuspected chest "oh Zuzu, you disappoint me" she said in her sickly sweet voice, he was writhing on the ground as the electricity coursed through him. When he began to sink through the ground and landed in a desert, his mother was a few feet away, staring at him with aged eyes, brimming with tears, "Zuko," she whispered "I did this for you, don't forget who you are." she lifted her hand to him as if beckoning him to take it, he ran towards her and right when she was in reach was sucked into the sand and into the earth below.

Then he was standing in the bunker under the capital city, his father stood at his throne "you are always are traitor Zuko, you are a liar, a thief, a backstabbing waste of boy." Zuko ran from the room as fast his legs would allow where he ended up in the caves of Ba Sing Se where Sokka was waiting, he growled at him "how could you let her die?" he asked fiercely holding his boomerang ready to be released, next to him appeared Katara who's eyes were glassy with grief, in her arms was the limp form of Aang with a red angry wound on his back, he watched her as her skin began to grey, she gurgled and collapsed still holding Aang.

The earth was tugged from underneath him and he on the beach with Mai, she sweetly kissed his mouth and smiled slightly at him, there was something in her eyes that he could not place, sadness? relief? confusion?  
She held his face in her hands just staring at him, he couldn't speak no matter how hard he tried, no noise could escape his throat. Mai slowly began to walk away, she bowed slightly and whispered as if it were a final farewell "My lord." and vanished.

Again the earth gave loose beneath his feet, he was sitting on Appa, holding the reins, the ocean spanned beneath him, and Katara was next to him, she looked ahead with a steely expression, "Katara?" he asked, she looked at him the fierceness in her eyes melting away like ice and replaced with warmth, she smiled at him and placed her hand atop his.

Then finally the world went black, everything was black and he was alone, sitting in the robes of the Fire Lord, on cushion just waiting, in slithered Ran and Cha, the Firebending Masters, the last dragons, they encircled him. "Zuko," the red one hissed its voice a mixture of his sisters and fathers "Zuko look at you're ruin, look at the lose you have caused, this once proud nation now crippled and weak, you are weak."  
The blue dragon spoke, its voice sounded like Aang's and Sokka's "Do not touch her, she isn't yours to keep, look what you caused your mother to do after all." it mocked.  
The dragons began to talk at the same time chanting threats and insults so much that the words smeared together and he couldn't not decifer what they were saying until the dragons hissed heads on either side of his face, they're forked tongues dangerously close to touching him, when they hissed fiercely "Fire Lord Zuko, time's almost up" and spat vibrantly colored fire at him, consuming him entirely.

* * *

Across the globe, Katara was waking, she streched her arms over her head and back again, she looked over to the futon across from hers were Aang slept, the boy was curled into a ball facing the wall his side moved up and down in the steady rate of this breath, Katara couldnt help but to smile at this, Aang always looked so peaceful in his sleep, he looked younger almost as if he were twelve again and not sixteen, the last Airbender and the Avatar, the boy who saved the world from firey infrerno and tyrany, he just looked like the boy in the iceberg wanting to go peguin sledding.

Katara and Aang were currently settled at the Northern Air Temple helping Teo and his father get the place prepared for more people who wanted to live a monk like life, as the Southern Air Temple was full and for some reason nither of them could bare to have people settle in the Eastern Air Temple they figured the Northern would do just fine as it was already once a settlement.

Katara discontinued her watching of Aang sleep and began to rise to her feet, she straighted out her blue robes and splashed some water on her face from the shaving bowl on the table in the room, Katara stared at her face in the reflection, she looked older she decided, her eyes looked less youthful somehow and her cheekbones more prominet. she ran a comb through her knotted hair, pulling back half and tying it, and letting the rest hang loose.

Katara was tired, she was tired of travel, they had been traveling since four months after the war and had not stopped to settle in a place longer then four weeks. "well Aang IS a nomand," she would think whenever thoughts of home began to breach into her mind "and you ARE his girlfriend so where ever he is should be home." this was her mantra whenever Katara felt a tugging in her heart for her igloo in the South Pole, or the house in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, and even the Fire Lord's house in Ember Island she would repeat it untill all ideas of settlement left her train of thought but they always came back no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

She thought of Sokka and how he was engaged to Suki, and how she hadnt seen either of them in almost a year. She thought of Toph who was probaly back at home with her parents, finally accecpted by them, yet still being the Blind Bandit in the moon light, it was also a year ago when she last saw her as well. Then she thought of Zuko, sitting alone in his study absorbed in his work as Fire Lord and how hesitant he was about the job, she remembered the last converstion she had with him right after his cornation...

"_So youre Fire Lord now, all youre dreams have come true" she teased him slightly, Zuko was stadning on the bank of a Turtle Duck pond staring blankly into the black water as she apporached him._

"I never dreamnt of actually being Fire Lord," he answered in his usual raspy low voice "I always Uncle would take the throne."

"But...he's old" Katara said hesitantly, she always figured Zuko wanted to be Fire Lord after his father was dethroned, it just seemed apporite to her. Zuko glanced over his shoulder sending her a disapporiving look "I mean its not that he's to old," Katara said "but I thought you were the rightul heir"

"I am," Zuko anwsered coldy "I just never pictured myself ruling a country, I dont feel as if I'm fit for the job." he faced her now, he looked her straight in the eye, something she never enjoyed much, it felt as if he were looking straight through her, it made her feel naked and uncomfrontable, she felt vunerable but at the same time completely secure.

"Zuko, you are fit for the job, your Uncle told you so back in Ba Sing Se, remember?" Katara's vocie softened into its motherly tone "He told you this nation needed someone with ideals and honor, which you have both of no matter how much you try and deny"

"Yes, but a nation can not just be ran by honor, it needs someone with a poltical mind," Zuko grumbled "a mind that I do not have."

Katara smiled at him, apporaching him cautionsly, placing a hand on his forearm "you're going to be a great Fire Lord, I'm sure of it" she grinned, hugging him.

"I hope youre right Katara" he said hugging back.

It had been a year, she relized since she had seen anyone of her friends, when they all arrived in Ba Sing Se for the anniversy of the end of the war festival that carried on for a week straight, the city streets were lined with paper latterns of all colors of each nation, random bursts of fireworks would go off around the city uncalled for awaking them from there sleep.  
Uncle's tea house was constaly packed with guests from far reaches of the globe demanded the Dragon of the West's famous brews.  
It was one of the best weeks of Katara life to date.

Katara was staring out into the blue sky when she was woken from her thoughts by a sharp peck on her hand, "Hawky?" she asked aloud to the bird perched next to her hand, it ducked it's head revealing a scroll in its pack strapped to it's back.  
Katara pulled the scorll from it and unrolled it, on rich paper she read:

_Katara and Aang:  
You are formally invited to the wedding of Sokka and Suki  
On Kyoshi Island in a fortnight  
RSVP, ASAP _

Katara was in slight shock, she knew her brother and Suki were engaged but it just seemed like yesterday when they all had first meet.  
She turned over the paper to a note hand written in Sokka's childish script

_To: Katara,  
you better come to my wedding, its been to long since we've all seen you, I'm somewhat worried and so is Iroh (who is leaning over my shoulder!) we're at his tea shop picking out teas for the recption after.  
Suki would like you to be her maid of honor ... actually, no you are going to be her maid of honor so you have no excuse not to come! (Zuko's going to my best man, he just doesnt know it yet)  
I'll see you two weeks baby sister!_

From: Sokka  
P.S. bring a good gift!

Katara ran into her room and grabbed a bit of parachment and sat at the desk and quickly wrote to Sokka saying of course she'd be at her only brother's wedding, and would be delighted to be Suki's maid of honor.  
She quickly rolled the paper and pushed it in Hawkys holder, "Go back to Sokka Hawky" Katara said giving the bird a slight nudge and then running back into her room to wake Aang to tell him the news.

* * *

Zuko sat at the foot of his bed meditating when there was a soft knock on his door, "My lord?" asked a servants voice.  
"You may enter." Zuko said, standing and pulling on his robe, a small man entered his room, but just barely "This came for you" he said bowing and holding out a scroll.  
"All messages regarding my work as Fire Lord are meant to be left in my study" Zuko said waving his hand at the servant in attempt to dismiss him, sitting back down in front of his candles.  
"But my lord, this is personal, addressed from a Sokka of the Water Tribe" the servant's voice quivered, Zuko sat up quickly and retireved the message "Thank you, you are dismissed" he barely answered as his eyes quickly scanned the wedding invitation.  
Zuko muttered under his breath in slight confuson, "Best man?"

* * *

A/N: welllll there it is! The first paragraph is basically a little prolouge, a general overview of what was going in the world over the past 4 years, I didnt really feel like I needed to go into Zuko's ecomony plans and Aang's constrution ones (mainly because I have no idea what either of those would sound like)  
and the Chapter 1 is the beginning of the story thats going to unravel before youre eyes!  
I'd like you to take note the "fueled by" section down below, that is where I will name the artist and song that helped my write whatever part of the story youre reading at the time, and will also be the name of the chapter. I'd also like you to know that I do not have mircosoft word, only wordpad so I dont have any spell or grammer check, and I have absoutly horrible abilties in both arenas, for that I am sorry since I know how annoyin spelling and grammatical errors are.  
anways! I'd really really appreicate some reviews, any kind is welcome, I'm a fan of critcism it helps one grow! (other then pointing out my poor grammer/spelling skills, I know that its really bad.)

Untill next time.

Fueled by: The Postal Service - Such great heights


	2. Chap 2

Run

Disclaimer: No!

A/N: If you haven't tried them yet, the new toasted chip wheat thins are frikin addictingly delish.

* * *

Chap 2: Heaven runs on oil

"You're late."  
Sokka was standing beside the wooden tribute of Kyoshi, tapping his foot impatiently with a scowl on his face as Katara and Aang crawled down from Appa's saddle.  
"Sokka, your wedding is in a week!" Katara said exasperated.  
"aweh I'm only kidding baby sister! come here!" Sokka's attitude changed from serious to comical in a flash, he had his arms extended to her awaiting her embrace, Katara couldn't help but to smile and threw herself at her brother wrapping her arms around his neck "Ive miss you big brother" she said into his neck trying hard not to cry, it had indeed been to long and it felt good to see her brother again.  
Aang was observing the scene next Appa patting the giant animals head "Aang! Hey!" Sokka yelled at the boy who appeared to be very interested in petting his bison "You see Appa everyday, unlike me which is every six hundred years" Sokka exaggerated.  
Aang's face light up, a huge smile plastered on his face, he lifted himself off the ground with his bending and landed gentle in front of Sokka, grasping his hand and arm in traditional water tribe welcome, "good to see you buddy," Sokka grinned "Let's go back to the house, I think Suki's making some meat."

"Wait you and Suki live together?" Katara asked a little put off, "Well yea Katara, we've been together for what? five years? and we're getting married in a week, I don't see why we wouldn't, plus you live with Aang" Sokka explained leading the way into the village "but that's different, me and Aang travel all over the world, we don't have much of a choice but to live together" Katara insisted, Sokka looked down at her, his brow furrowed a bit "Yes you do."

Sokka and Suki's house was open and airy, with wooden walls and floors, every window was open and soft grey curtains blew lightly with the breeze, the house had two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room and a large kitchen which was perfect considering Sokka's appetite.  
When they arrived in the house Suki was in the kitchen chopping up an apple, she wore a simple green shift with a brown leather belt cinched at her narrow waist, her brown hair was still cut short, she appeared exactly the same as when Katara saw her last except she was obviously happy, there was no sign of worry, stress or preoccupation with her, she was simply beaming.  
"Sokka!" she exclaimed running into her fiance's arms, she planted a kiss on his cheek "How long were you waiting there for? you've been gone for thirty minutes!"  
"Oh ya know, awhile" Sokka said shrugging.  
Suki turned to Aang and Katara, smiling "I've missed you guys," she said hugging them both "if you're hungry, I've made some food" she said waving a hand to a baked ham, and a bowl of chopped fruit "Suki's picked up cooking" Sokka smiled proudly.  
"I needed to, you're brother eats all the time" she said lightly punching him on the arm.

Katara watched the couple in complete jealously as they ate their food around a scrubbed wooden table, they were in such sync with each other and completely infatuated, "It must because there about to become newlyweds" Katara thought to herself as she looked at Aang from the corner of her eye, nothing had changed in there relationship over the years she'd known him, the only difference she could see was the fact that they kissed, and that wasn't even so great.  
She felt almost like his mother, but she couldn't just leave him, she loved him and he loved her...right?

Katara's musing was interrupted by Sokka, "Katara? did you hear me?" Sokka asked waving a hand in front of her eyes "What? no? what'd you say Sokka" Katara said still a little distracted, "Dad and the other people from the south and north pole are coming in to-morrow" he said.  
"Really?!" her eyes shone, it was the greatest news she'd heard all week next to the impending wedding, Katara hadn't seen her father in two years, and she missed him terribly.

"Yea and we expected the rest of the guests over the weekend, though we're not sure about Zuko, he hasn't responded to the invitation yet -- but knowing him he'll just show up randomly out of the blue on our doorstep, babbling awkwardly about being sorry for arriving late" Sokka thought aloud.  
At Zuko's name Katara felt her heart jolt slightly, "Zuko's coming?" she inquired looking curiously from Suki and Sokka, "Yea he is, he's gonna be Sokka's best man" Suki answered biting into a piece of apple.  
"Wait, whys he best man and not me?" Aang asked, "I guess because Zuko's my age and oh I dunno actually corresponds with me" Sokka said in a smart assed tone but Aang took no notice to his friends discontent with the fact that he and his girlfriend had practically disappeared off the face of the planet and hardly visited or even wrote.

"But I thought it was tradition for the maid of honor and best man to be either married or involved?" Aang asked with slight annoyance.  
"Yea, in the earth kingdom" Sokka said gnawing into his meat  
Aang stared at him expectantly "Yea..and this is the earth kingdom..." Aang trailed  
"Aang, Aang, I don't know if you noticed this about me, but I'm water tribe, we can shake tradtion up a little cant we?" Sokka answered him simply. Aang plainly answered with an "Oh" and continued eating.  
"So Zuko's best man?" Katara asked absientmindedly.  
"Katara have you been listening to anything we've been saying?!" Sokka asked loudly "we just had a whole converstaion about it!"

Suki giggled but furrowed her brow as her gaze drifted onto Katara who's eyes were fixed on her food slightly glazed over, "Katara are you alright?" she asked worried about her friend, "Hm?" Katara asked shaking her head a little looking up at her friends worried big blue-grey eyes "Yea, yea I'm fine" she answered in a far off voice.  
"I think we need a girls night!" Suki decided randomly thinking maybe a little time at a spa and girl talk could get Katara to spill, both her and Sokka had been worried about Katara for sometime, at the festival last year she seemed unlike herself, quiet and pensive two things Katara hardly ever was and in the few letters she wrote they were of no information about herself and how she was doing but rather with how Aang was.

* * *

Later that evening after a welcome feast that was thrown for them Katara and Suki bid a farewell to Sokka and Aang to head off for there girls night.  
Suki being leader of the Kyoshi warriors and war hero had secured the spa in town specifically for her and Katara.

They sat with there feet in basins of warm sudsy water while women filed and scrubbed there hands and feet, they were wrapped in warm fluffy robes and there hair twisted up in a towels.  
"Soo how's the world?" Suki asked starting conversation, "Oh ya know the same ol same," Katara giggled as the lady working on her feet accidentally tickled the arch of her foot with tool she was using on it "but really its doing well, people are finally starting to accept the fire nation as not so horrible people, plus it helps that Zuko is doing a good job by not starting any wars."  
Suki nodded "So when was the last time you saw him?" Suki asked, "Who?" Katara asked her. "Zuko, who else are we talking about?" Suki giggled, "oh! I haven't seen him since the end of the war festival in Ba Sing Se last year," Katara answered "how about you?" she asked Suki.  
"Uhhm, well, it was in the South Pole, he stopped by there for some political business with your dad, so probably three months ago, maybe four" Suki said counting months off on her fingers, "You were in the South Pole?" Katara asked quietly, "He was in the South Pole" she added even more quietly that the only person who could of possibly heard her was the woman massaging her right hand.  
"Yea, why? when was the last time you were there?" Suki asked cautiously tilting her head curiously.  
"Two years" Katara answered stoically, swallowing hard, something about being around Suki and her brother made her more lonely and home sick then she already was originally.  
Suki frowned a little, "Come on Katara, we're not buying this tough guy act, you've always worn your emotions on your sleeve, whats going on with you?" she asked, she didn't feel like tiptoeing around the subject and gently easing into it.  
Katara just wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "Is it Aang? are you guys in a fight or something?" Suki continued to pry.  
Katara sighed, there was a prolonged silence before Katara spoke, "I miss home," was all she said simply, looking her friend in the eyes, tears brimming over she sighed, "I'm tired Suki."

* * *

It was a day after he had received his invitation to Sokka's wedding when his Uncle had showed up at the palace's doorstep.  
"Uncle what are you doing here?" Zuko asked standing up from his place behind the wall of fire "and why on earth did you come through here? your family" he added, no one came to greet him this way expect for politicians, generals, and fire sages.  
His Uncle shrugged "I wanted to see my nephew at work"  
Zuko smiled walking down from his place and stood in front of his Uncle, it had been several months since he had last seen him, the wrinkles on his face were more prominent, he was starting to show his age.

They stood in a short silence before Zuko threw his arms around his Uncle, "I missed you Uncle."  
"Ive missed you to Prince Zuko." his Uncle said, "Uncle I haven't been a Prince for four years" Zuko chuckled, "I know but it sounds better then Fire Lord Zuko," his Uncle laughed his deep laugh, "Now, whats this I hear of a wedding and you being best man?" he asked putting a arm around his nephew and leading him out of the throne room and into the living area of the palace.  
"How'd you know I was going to be best man?" Zuko asked.  
His Uncle shrugged "It was written in a post script on my invitation, that and to bring a good gift" he chuckled.

Zuko and his Uncle were sitting outside at a round table that was set not far off from the turtle duck pond, Zuko's servants brought out a pot of hot water, two cups and a selection of teas for his Uncle, "I see you've widened your taste in tea Zuko" Uncle said proudly. "No, I just keep a large stock in for you, I still think its just hot leaf juice" Zuko grinned a little thinking of briefly on his time as a tea server, not exactly one of the highlights of his life.  
"Hows the fire nation holding up?" his Uncle asked stirring in a bag of ginseng into the pot, "its finally starting to balance out" Zuko said fiddling absentmindedly with a spoon that the servants brought out with the tea for stirring.  
"I don't want to talk business Uncle, I'm in need of a break to be honest" Zuko sighed, he was slightly over worked.  
"Ah okay, no talk of work," his Uncle said pouring himself and Zuko tea "So speaking of marriage, when are you and Mai going to tie the knot?" he chuckled.  
Zuko nearly choked on his tea "We weren't talking about marriage Uncle!" he coughed.  
"Well nephew I was just thinking, you've been dating Lady Mai for about the same amount of time as Sokka has been with his fiance" his Uncle said sipping from his glass eyeing Zuko with a curious twinkle in his eye.  
Zuko groaned, Mai and his relationship had long been failing, they hadn't seen each other most of the year, she spent most of her time with Ty Lee on Kyoshi island or with other friends she had in the capital city and when they did spend time together it was in complete silence, not even a "How was your day?" from either sides.

"We're not exactly heading down the isle anytime soon." Zuko answered massaging his temples, his Uncle seemed to gather all that was needed to know by the action.  
"Uncle I hate to cut tea time short, but if we're going to make it to Kyoshi by the weekend, we're going to have to leave to-morrow morning and there's something I need to do before we set off." Zuko said hastily standing up.  
His Uncle drained his cup "Okay, tell Ozai I say hello."  
Zuko smiled slightly as he bowed and walked off.

* * *

Every so often, at least once every two months Zuko went to see his father and sister, both prisoners. Ozai was held in the same prison he had been in since the end of the war, but Azula was kept in a hospital for the mentally unwell on the outskirts of the city.

Ever since her breakdown during their Agni Kai, Azula was mentally a mess, she was kept in a high security room at the hospital, a cement square room with thick white paint messily painted on the walls, and the floor was lightly padded with nonflammable material. She would just sit there, her back rested against the far back wall staring at her talon like hands not making a single noise.  
She would just sit in her simple white hospital gown her once muscular legs outstretched, staring at her palms laying lifelessly in her lap.  
The doctors at the hospital were often afraid of Azula as she tended to have random fits of rage spurting blue flames from her hands, at one point she lashed out and cut the face of a doctor with her long nails, which were now filed down for safety.  
Several months ago the doctors at the hospital thought she was showing improvement and let her out into the entertainment room where other patients sat in recliners mumbling to themselves, drawing pictures, or playing card games. When they had found Azula standing in front of a mirror crying, holding a pair of shears she'd stolen from a sewing kit. She had hacked off her long hair, black locks of it lay all around her bare pale feet like pools of ink, her once shiny hair now rested unevenly above her shoulders, but with random pieces that she missed still at there original lengths. Azula spoke to no one, it wasn't that she couldn't, she just refused, she was just a shell of the once manipulative power hungry Princess she so prided herself to be.

"How's she doing?" Zuko asked one of the guards stationed outside Azula's room, the guard shrugged slightly and opened the heavy creaking metal door for the Fire Lord.  
There she sat, the once proud Princess of the Fire Nation, a bending progdigy.  
"Azula?" Zuko asked tenetively leaning lightly against the wall opposite of his sister.  
Azula glanced up from her study of her hands and glared at the sight of her brother  
Though she never spoke she often glared at her older brother with such disdain that Zuko wasn't surprised that the glares didn't kill him.  
"I'm leaving to-morrow morning for Kyoshi Island, Sokka's getting married," Zuko said idly "you remember him? he's from the Southern Water tribe -- the guy with the pony tail."  
Azula continued to send deadly glares at him. The doctors believed that one of the causes to Azula's unraveling was part to due with the betrayal of her friends Mai and Ty Lee, and even possibly their father, though both Ty Lee and Mai visited Azula more then Zuko ever did and she was even escorted to the jail where Ozai was held every so often in hopes that seeing him would trigger something in her, but nothing ever changed.

Zuko and Azula remained in a comfortable silence for awhile when Zuko said "I heard Mai was here last week, I think you see her more then I do" he chuckled a little but then stopped in realization how sad that really was, "my girlfriend would rather visit my mentally unwell sister then me" he thought to himself.  
Azula smiled devilishly at him and began to slowly rise her left arm, "Azula?" Zuko asked a little alarmed by her movement, she had her first to fingers pointed out as if she were to bend lightening "What are you doing?" Zuko asked slightly worried shifting towards the door, she finally had her arm level, squinting one eye and aiming at his chest, she jerked her wrist up as she were firing balls of flame and muttering softly "phew, phew" before laughing under her breath then dropping her arm and resuming looking at her hands in complete silence.  
Zuko's eye were widened in alarm, his heart had practically stopped at this sudden flare of strange behavior, "Azlua, I'm sorry" he said softly walking over to her placing one of his hands atop her smaller ones, he kept like that for a second or two before leaving his sister sanctuary.

His next stop was Ozai.

For the past years he had been only going to see his father to ask the whereabouts of his mother, information he had still yet to share, Ozai would simply glance up at his son and smirk arrogantly, even though he was in a dark, musty cell his father still somehow maintained his pride and cruelty.

"Well, well if it isn't Fire Lord Zuko a traitor for a son coming to visit his father" Ozai taunted from his cage, he sat cross legged on his sleeping mat, his long black hair dirty and knotted and a beard grown across his now hollowed face.  
Zuko didn't respond to his father taunting, he just stood there glaring down at the once strong man who now seemed lanky and weak, but Zuko wouldn't dare presume anything about the once proud tyrant of the Fire Nation.  
"Ozai," Zuko said gruffly "Where is my mother?" he asked.  
Ozai laughed, "Still on that are you?" he asked "you really think after all these years of asking without an answer that today I'd choose to tell you?"  
"Perhaps" Zuko said simply  
Ozai just continued to laugh at his son "Never."

By the time Zuko arrived home his Uncle was already asleep, so he proceeded to pack there belongings for the morning departure.  
"Crap, I forgot to get a gift." Zuko said to himself as he put some clothes in a case.  
"Gift? gift for what?" he heard a familiar monotone voice ask, Zuko spun around to see Mai leaning in his bedroom door frame, "Mai!" he exclaimed excited to see his girlfriend, he practially jogged up to her, leaning down slightly and kissing her mouth "Mm Zuko" she tried saying through his lips, pushing him away "I'm tired." she said brushing her long black robes, "you're tired?!" Zuko practically barked, "I haven't seen you in almost a month, I kiss you and you're tired?" he spat out a little less comprehendable then he meant to sound.  
"Yes, I'm tired," Mai replied dryly sitting herself on a plush maroon chair near the large window in his room, Zuko sighed audibly, he was incredibly frustrated.  
"Now why do you need to get a gift?" she asked again she cold eyes practically searing through him, "Sokka's wedding next week, I forgot to buy him and Suki a wedding gift, we leave to-morrow" he answered continuing with his packing still slightly angry from her rejection.  
"We?" Mai asked slowly, "Yes, we. -- Me, Uncle, you." Zuko said to her as if she were a simpleton, he wasn't sure how she'd react to him up and telling her she was going instead of like a gentlemen asking her if she'd like to, but all she did was snort. "We?" she asked again with a touch of disdain "I'm not going to a wedding."  
"Why not?" Zuko demanded spined on the balls of his feet to face her "you're my girlfriend aren't you?" his voice was peaking on yelling.  
Mai simply stared at him through narrowed eyes, stood and left his room, he called after her, "MAI!" Zuko dashed into the hallway still calling, "Mai! come back, please." but she never did, "UGH!" Zuko yelled in sheer frustration and confusion punching his fist into his dark colored wall sending sparks from his fist.

* * *

A/N: well theres chapter 2 for ya!  
W.t.f. is up with Mai? and poor Katara being all depressed, Zuko's women come with so many little issues dont they? (though techincally Katara isnt his yet, but in due time, in due time...)

I have to admit I love writing people from the Fire Nation (Zuko, Mai, Azula) but I'm having trouble with Mr. Avatar for some reason, if you didnt notice he litreally said three sentences in this whole thing haha.

Anyways! reviews are pretty much the greatest things ever so send me a few! (Ive noticed several people subscribed to the story but no reviews along with...you know who you are!)

Also once again forgive the bad spelling and grammatical error, if you see any that I have in the first chapter as well as this one, point them out to me so I don't do them again, thanks a bunch!

Until next time.

_Fueled by: Heaven runs on oil - Nightmare of you _


	3. Chap 3

Run.

A/N: This is mainly a filler, I've had some hardcore writers block recently.

* * *

Chap 3: Radio Station 93.3

Zuko never really realized how much he missed the open sea until now.  
He was standing in the middle of deck on his ship with his eyes shut just feeling the cool salty air whip his hair and sting his cheeks, he kept his arms folded behind his back and stood erect ignoring the sounds of his crew bustling about.

Zuko, his Uncle and their crew had been aboard the vessel for almost five days, he hadn't been away from the Fire Nation in that long since his days of tracking and then teaching the Avatar.  
It was a nice relief, he couldn't help to admit.

"Zuko," he heard his Uncle say breaking his reverie "We will be reaching Kyoshi to-morrow, you should start packing up your belongings."  
Zuko simply nodded, his back to his Uncle and eyes still shut.

Zuko could sense his Uncle still standing behind him shifting weight leg to leg, so he turned around and faced the old man, "Yes Uncle?" he asked curtly. "Well I was wondering ..." Uncle trailed, Zuko looked at him expectantly "I was wondering why Lady Mai hasn't joined us on this trip" he finished.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose "Uncle, I think Mai and I are over." Zuko sighed.  
It wasn't as if Zuko didn't care for Mai, he did, he was just tired of her melodramatic crap.  
"Oh well that is a shame to hear, you were such a lovely match," his Uncle paused for a moment Zuko furrowed his brow, "Well maybe you'll meet a nice girl on Kyoshi!" his Uncle said brightly nudging his nephew with his elbow, winking.  
Zuko sighed, rolling his eyes saying under his breath, "Yea, sure whatever you say."

A dozen or more ships were docked at the shores of Kyoshi, each one containing guests for Suki and Sokka's wedding, full of people they had meet over there travels.  
They all had arrived early in the morning, so Katara, Aang, Suki and Sokka were still dead asleep.

"Katara." someone whispered in her ear, Katara was sleeping in the guest room of Sokka and Suki's house, on the floor next to the bed on a mat was Aang, he wouldn't share the bed with her, ever, not even when they were alone during there worldly travels.  
"Katara" the whispering voice insisted more loudly, she groaned slightly and flopped onto her stomach burying her head into her pillow  
The voice groaned, shaking her shoulder slightly, "WHAT?!" she snapped shooting upward in bed her hands at a ready to bend water from a near by vase.

She blinked wearily at her intruder trying to decide if she were dreaming or not, "Dad?" she asked with a cracking voice, Hadoka smiled down at his daughter.

Katara sat around the dining room table surrounded by her newly reunited family,  
Gran Gran, Pakku, Hadoka, and her brother.  
She hadn't felt this happy in years.  
They all ate breakfast in a comfortable silence, the silverware clicking against their plates, slicing up bites of bacon and eggs, "So where's Avatar Aang?" Pakku inquired breaking the silence.  
"Oh he's practicing his firebending, its always stronger in the morning sun." stated Katara simply keeping her eyes on her bacon.  
"How are you and Aang?" Hadoka asked looking at his daughter, Sokka had written him a post script (as he did with almost every guest) in his wedding invite speaking of his worries about his younger sister.  
"We're doing well, everything is smooth, no change." Katara answered slicing her bacon a little to fiercely, she was slightly irked at all the drilling she'd been receiving on her relationship with the Avatar.

"Ah speak of the devil!" Sokka exclaimed, Aang had entered the house, sweat on his brow.  
"How was your work-out?" Katara asked turning all her attention to her boyfriend.  
"It was good, thanks Katara." Aang said sitting next to her, handing him a glass full of cool water.  
Aang chugged down the water and whipped his forehead with the back of his hand, he had yet to notice the presence of Hadoka and the others until Pakku cleared his throat, "Avatar Aang it is a pleasure to see you again."

Aang jumped almost choking on his eggs, "Sifu Pakku!" he took notice to the guests, "Hadoka! Kanna!" he said a little shocked, finally regaining his manners stood and bowed to each of them clumsily.  
"No need to bow Avatar." Gran Gran said smoothly.  
Aang blushed slightly sitting back down, Katara giggled and lightly kissed him on the cheek causing him to redden even more.

Hadoka smiled gently at the young couple, his daughter had been dating the Avatar for quite some time now. He was happy with her choice but then again he wasn't, he couldn't deny that he was pleased with the fact that there relationship seemed not so serious and modest at best, but another part of him wished that his daughter could feel the passion and recklessness of love that his relationship had when he and his wife had when they were that young.  
Aang was the Avatar and raised a monk, for some reason he had a feeling there relationship would not have the similar heat he and Kya had, or even what his son and fiance have.

"So who else is here?" Aang asked, "The wedding guests I mean."  
"Oh ya know, the usual people," Sokka said waving a fork about naming people off "Haru, The Boulder, Toph, Teo, Bumi, and a bunch more."  
"Toph's here!" Aang and Katara said in unison exchanging a excited look.  
"Yea she's been asleep in the backyard for awhile now." Suki said nodding to the back door.  
Katara and Aang jumped from there seats and ran to the window, outside was a large earth tent, with a pair of dirty feet poking out.

Katara threw open the back door and practically skipped the the rock tent with Aang at her heels, "TOPH!" they called standing a good foot from her sleeping place as she might throw rocks at them for waking her.  
The ground tremored slightly which caused the pair to smile more widely, the slabs of the tent rocketed back into the earth and there stood the petite blind earth bender with a cocky smirk on her face.

"Twinkle Toes, Sugar Queen." was all she could get out before they strangled her in huge hug, by this time Sokka and Suki and joined them standing nearby arms around each other.  
They broke free from Toph who now smiled as widely as the rest of the newly reunited Team Avatar.

Katara's eyes were wet with happiness, they were all back together again after all these years, it was the best feeling she had experienced to date.  
She was beaming at her brother, her two best friends and her boyfriend when she realized something important was missing.  
"Zuko." she said inenvertitly, "Don't worry Sugar Queen Prince Charming Sparky will be here by the end of the day." Toph said punching her on the arm.

* * *

Zuko was sitting in the galley with his Uncle when he realized something "Oh spirits." he said more to himself then to anyone, "What it is Zuko?" his Uncle inquired slurping at the stew they were having for lunch. "I haven't seen these people in almost a year." he said thoughtfully swishing his spoon through the dark stew, sinking little chunks of meat and vegetables only to see them bob back up to the surface.

"Ah don't worry nephew, they're your friends, it'll be just like it was back when you traveled with them" his Uncle said cheerily.  
"Before or after the southern raiders?" he grumbled remember how it took up until after that little quest for the entire gang to warm up to him fully.  
"What did you say nephew?" his Uncle asked cheerily.  
"Nothing Uncle, just remembering." Zuko answered in a far off voice, he was thinking of the time they all spent on Ember Island in his summer home, it might of been one of happiest times of his life, oddly enough.

That is when it hit him "Uncle! I know what to give Sokka as a wedding gift!" he exclaimed looking at his Uncle with excited eyes, his Uncle smiled thoughtfully at the young Fire Lord.  
"And that is?" he asked, "My house, the one on Ember Island!"  
"But Zuko, that house has been in your family for years, why would you give it up?" his Uncle asked taking a mouthful of stew.  
"I never use it, the last time someone actually stayed in it was when we were hiding from Oazi, plus when we were there all Sokka could do was rave about how spectacular it is." Zuko explained, "Plus he and Suki have homes in every nation but ours, and it is a nice place for a vacation" he added. His Uncle shrugged, "You can do with it what you will, but I suggest you send in some cleaners to fix the place up." His Uncle chuckled "You left quiet a mess when you were there."

"Good plan Uncle" Zuko replied, he stood from his seat stretching his arms out "Aren't you going to finish your lunch?" his Uncle asked looking at his nephews stew, "You can finish it if you want" Zuko said pushing the bowel to his Uncle, "I'm going to practice fire bending" he said leaving the galley and onto the deck.

Zuko stretched out his tired muscles, bending from side to side and going lunges.  
he punched at the air sending a thick wave of fire from his knuckles over the ship and out into the open sea where it eventually faded and died.  
Zuko took a deep breath and went into his exercise.

* * *

Team Avatar was wandering around Kyoshi Island visiting all the guests who had come in for the wedding, several lodges were all booked up and there were some tents pitched around them for guests who couldn't get rooms in time.

They had already had stopped by to see The Boulder who had a huge rock tent, that looked more like a hut set up near the woods, Sokka had greeted him in excitement bouncing up and down pointing.  
The team were now inside one of the smaller lodges that occupied Haru, they all sat around a wooden table laughing and catching up.  
Haru looked older, more muscular and had shaved off his ridiculous facial hair.  
He had greeted them with a huge smile hugging each of them, "Katara it is so good to see you, its been way to long." he said taking the girl in his arms.  
"Haru, I've missed you too" she said hugging the boy back feeling his hard body underneath hers.

"So what have you been up to?" she asked him as they now all sat munching on a bowl of a mix of nuts and dried fruit.  
"Toph didn't tell you?" Haru asked eyeing the blind girl.  
"No she didn't" Katara said glaring at the small girl next to her fully aware she couldn't see the venomous gaze.  
"Well we've started teaching other Earth Benders, ones that cant get formal training like we couldn't" he answered.  
"That's great Haru, Toph" Suki said beaming at them.  
"Where at?" Aang asked handing Momo who was perched on his shoulder a nut.  
"Around where I lived, but farther from my house and closer to town, we have sort of a mini village set up with benders living there" Toph answered.  
"Why didn't you tell us Toph?" Sokka asked, looking at Haru as if he might know, Toph just shrugged "Dunno, just didn't feel like it."

"Aang!" called a voice, Teo was rolling up to him with his father at his side, "Teo!" Aang said excitedly soaring from his seat bowing to the wheelchair bound boy.  
"It's good to see you!" Teo said bowing slightly back.  
"Come join us." Aang said leading the way back to the table.  
"Wow just like old times huh?" Teo said looking around the team smiling, "Now we just need combustion man trying to kill us and we'll be set."  
They all laughed.

After all there visiting the team went there separate ways, Aang, Toph and Haru were practicing Earth Bending, Sokka and his dad were doing manly things and Katara and Suki were preparing for the wedding that was going to happen in only a few days.  
"Are you nervous?" Katara asked, running her hands over a white gown in the shop they had stopped at in town.

Suki and Katara had taken Appa to the nearest large city to pick out Suki's wedding gown, she had waited for Katara's arrival to pick it out as she was her maid of honor.  
"In a way," Suki said filing threw the rack of gowns.  
"I mean I've known Sokka for a really long time, and we've been living with each other for most of it, so a part of me feels like it'll be the same as it now but better but another is scared that we'll change completely." she said holding up two dresses to Katara, "which one" she said looking from dress to dress, Katara pointed at the first one.

Suki disappeared behind a curtain to change, "If you want my opinion," Katara said now holding up Suki's second option dress to herself gazing in the mirror "You guys are pretty perfect for each other, you fit each other." she said gazing at her reflection, with a furrowed brow.  
Suki came out from behind the curtain, "zip me?" she asked her back to Katara, she obliged "Okay let me see it" Katara said excitedly, Suki turned around, the dress was perfect.

It was a simple dress, a pale creamy color with a pale green silk ribbon tied around her thin waist, the back was open with lace sewn into it starting at the middle of her back and turning into a short train, it was sleeveless with a bell neckline.  
"Oh Suki!" Katara breathed looking at her friends reflection, "Its perfect."  
Suki approached the mirror her hand to her mouth, "Katara," she said breathlessly like she had just ran a mile "I'm getting married." she grinned widely her happiness apparent.

The girls now sat on Appa's back there arms linked, Suki clutching her dress.  
"So what's Sokka gonna wear to this shindig?" Katara asked "I mean you've bleed water tribe traditions into your dress with the whiteish color and train."  
"I'm not really sure, I don't know what men of the Water Tribe wear to a wedding, plus the best man is meant to help dress the groom and Zuko isn't here yet, so I bet your dad'll help with that part in his stead" Suki said.  
"Plus spirits knows what a Fire Nation man would wear to a wedding." Katara said laughing picturing Sokka in a garment that was fiery red and designed to look like a fireball.  
Suki soon pictured a similar image and joined in with her friends laughter.  
"Oh poor Mai, when her and Zuko get married she'll probably actually laugh." Katara said, which caused Suki to laugh harder "Zuko in a fireball outfit" they said in unison, there sides ached from laughter.

"'Bout time you two got home." Hadoka scolded his daughter and soon to be daughter in law.  
"How was your shopping?" he said eyeing the grey bag holding the wedding dress in Suki's arms "It went fine Chief Hadoka" Suki answered grinning, "You can just call me Hadoka Suki, your almost a member of the family now" The Chief grinned putting a arm around his daughter.

"Come, the chef your brother has hired for the reception is preparing us dinner, a mix of earth and water nation foods he says" Hadoka explained leading the girls to Sokka and Suki's house.  
In the kitchen a robust man was bustling around muttering to himself preparing foods, and around the dining room table, sat Sokka, Aang and Toph.  
"Pakku and Gran Gran went out to have there own romantic dinner" Sokka explained looking at his sisters slightly curious gaze to the empty two chairs.

They all sat talking about the wedding and other worldly events.  
"Dinner is served!" exclaimed the chef in a soprano voice placing steaming plates in front of each person, it was a odd array of traditional water tribe and earth nation foods meant to balance each other out.  
"Thank you Jackie" Sokka said, the little man bowed and left to the kitchen to prepare dessert.

Katara prodded her food with a fork making a face at Aang who was wondering if the food was vegetarian safe.  
Hadoka and Sokka didn't seem to care about there meals strange appearance and was shoveling the food into there mouths. Suki rolled her eyes at her fiance, taking a small bite of her meal "It isn't that bad." she whispered to Katara who was eyeing her forkful of food, she bite into it tentatively, "not that bad," she thought "but for the wedding the food ought to be not mixed like this."

After they finished there dinner, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph and Suki went down to the beach to watch the sunset and Katara and Aang practice waterbending.  
Suki lay on a towel in her beach clothes propped up on her forearms watching her fiance and Toph have a sand castle building contest, and Katara and Aang waterbend.  
she let out a contented sigh, all was right with the world.

"Suki, Suki!" Sokka called looking at her innocently "Who's sandcastle is better?" he asked looking from his to Toph's.  
Toph's building was clearly a exact replica of the Ba Sing Se palace where as Sokka's was -- well she had no idea what his was, "Sokka, what is that?" she asked holding back a laugh.  
"It's Appa cant you tell!" he said pointing the the sticks he had placed in what was meant to be Appa's face. "Oh...well...Toph wins." Suki said now standing looking at Toph's sculpture.  
Sokka flopped onto the ground and pouted, "Aweh baby your good at a lot of other things" Suki said crouching down to her fiance and kissed him gently on the mouth.  
"Ew! get a room would ya?" Toph said stomping off to 'watch' Katara and Aang practice waterbending.

Aang was in a water octopus form as Katara fired icles at him, he blocked almost everyone and airbended one away as it got to close to his neck for him to react with water "No airbending Aang, that's not fair" Katara scolded. Aang stuck his tongue out at her, diving into the ocean, Katara followed after him, on a wave of water thankful that she was wearing just her wrappings.  
"Come out wherever you are Avatar." Katara teased a fistful of water at the ready, she saw the top of his bald head surface for a bit, "AHA!" she said diving face first into the water, jetting herself with her bending, Katara opened her eyes letting the salt water sting but then after adjusting not, she gazed around the murky water looking for her openate, She smiled to herself as she spotted him towards the bottom of the ocean she waved her arms and sent a wave of bubbles at him sending him to the surface.  
"Ha! I win" Katara teased, propelling herself to the shore where Aang now sat in the wake of the sea water shaking his head side to side to get the water out of his ears.

"Hey guys look!!" Suki exclaimed excitedly pointing out into the horizon,  
against the sky now turning brilliant colors of orange, red and purple was a large ship approaching with a elegant speed.  
"Zuko!" Sokka exclaimed standing next to Suki with a arm around her lithe waist.  
Aang jetted himself into the air and landed himself next to Sokka, bouncing excidetedly on his feet.  
Toph remained laying in the sand, "arent you coming to wait?" Katara said looking over her shoulder, she was standing next to Suki also waiting, "why? I cant see the boat" Toph said dryly  
"Good point." Katara said.

It took a good 5 minutes before the large ship breached came into proper view, on the front of the ship stood Zuko, frowning at the island, and his Uncle at his side smiling.  
Katara looked at the Fire Lord, he seemed smaller when he was way up on the deck of the ship, his black hair being blown all about his pale face.

"Hey Zuko!" Sokka called when the ship was in a close enough distance, Katara could now make out his face perfectly, his stare went from the island to the beach, his gaze went from each of his former traveling companions, a slight smile on his lips, Katara couldn't help but to smile herself.

His eyes finally fell on her as the boat breached itself onto the shore.  
Their eyes finally meet each others stare, blue meet gold and the world seemed to fall away.

* * *

A/N: sorry this is so short and boring, I've had some super bad writers block, so this is mainly a filler chapter. sorry.  
Thanks of the ONE review, that was greatly appreciated and I tried to take your advice to heart.  
but I'd really like some more reviews, I know I have at least six or seven people subscribed.  
also please excuse my spelling/grammar mistakes.

Until Next Time

_Fueled by: The radio, I was to lazy to put on my ipod  
but I was listening to the channel 93.3, if anyone in the southern east coast is interested lolol_


	4. Chap 4

* * *

Run.

* * *

Chap 4: Under the Honeymoon

Katara watched Zuko and his Uncle walk off the plank of his ship onto the sand, his face expressionless, in typical Zuko fashion unlike his Uncle who was beaming at them waving.  
Zuko walked up to Aang and bowed restfully, "It's good to see you again Aang." he said stiffly in his deep raspy voice.  
He then went to Sokka, starting to bow but Sokka pulled him into a brief hug, "Good to see ya buddy!"  
Then to Toph who hugged him around his middle as she was dramatically shorter then he was.  
He bowed to Suki with a smile on his face Katara had learned that Zuko, Sokka, and Suki had all become close friends over the past years.  
Zuko stopped at Katara, they stared at each other for a moment until Katara flung herself on him and wrapped her arms around his neck burying her face in the crook of his neck breathing in his familiar smell, a smell of the ocean and smoke.  
Zuko returned the hug by awkwardly wrapping his arms around her waist, then pulling away.  
Katara studied Zuko's face, it had been what felt like years since she last saw him, "He's far more handsome then I remember" Katara thought to herself absentmindly.  
Then remembering the days at Ember Island...

_Katara and Suki sat in the covered hallway lounging around watching Zuko and Aang practice Firebending, it was a warm day so the shade felt good.  
Aang and Zuko always practiced there bending in mid day when the sun was most hot._

_Katara sat leaning on her hands watching Aang and Zuko, her gaze shifted to Zuko, sweat dripping down his pale torso, his muscles going taunt and loose in a steady rhythm with his movements, his black hair sticking to his forehead and neck, his eyes burning in fierce determination, the sweat pouring down his muscular back and chest...  
Katara found herself lost in impure thoughts, biting her lip just watching that body, till Suki broke her train of thought causing her to blush slightly._

_"Who are you watching Aang or Zuko?" Suki giggled a little at her friends dreamy expression, Katara didn't answer "Well I don't blame you, Zuko is definitely something to look at, I mean damn! that body!" Suki said earnestly. "Suki!" Katara scolded though secretly agreeing to herself, but she continued anyway "Who would of thought THAT body was underneath all those clothes and armor," she put infscense on 'that', "Come on Katara you know you agree, the boy is damn fine, you don't even notice the scar after the first five seconds of looking at him." Suki finished.  
"I can't believe you're saying this!" Katara giggled.  
"You ever notice the girls in village when we went shopping?" Suki asked, "They stare at him as if he were a piece of meat, he never notices because he's well...Zuko." Suki finished_.

"It's good to see you too General Iroh." Katara said coming out of her memories.  
"Please Lady Katara, call me Uncle Iroh." Uncle smiled at her bowing.

"Come on Zuko! I'll show you where you'll be staying!" Sokka said pulling his friend away, "We especially booked it for The Fire Lord" Sokka said putting a strange accent on for the words 'the fire lord'. Zuko couldn't help but to smile, he was back with his old friends, finally after so long of time in solitude.

* * *

Zuko's thoughts were still on being reunited with his friends after so long as Sokka showed him around his suite in one of the fancier lodges in town, babbling about the structure and crown moldings.  
He remember being embraced so abruptly by Katara, he was sure she'd react coldly to him, not for any other reason then that's how he expected people to treat him, she was just how he left her, though more pretty, with those ridiculously blue eyes filled with a ridiculous amount of emotions, and she still smelled of sweet pea just how he remembered her to.  
It felt nice to be in company of people he knew liked him for his broody self.

Sokka eventually left Zuko and his Uncle to settle into the room before dinner which was being held in town hall.  
"Well Zuko how does it feel to be amongst people other then politicians and servants?" his Uncle asked sitting on a futon.  
"Nice." was all Zuko said looking out the window to the ocean.  
"It's nice to see all those pretty girls I'm sure," his Uncle teased gruffly "Maybe you can make one Fire Lady by the weekend's out!" he laughed heartily.  
Zuko wrinkled his nose, "Uncle, one's engaged, one's far to young and the other's spoken for. So no, there will be no new Fire Ladies by the end of the weekend." he answered wearily turning to face his Uncle leaning against the wall.  
He watched his Uncle count off on his fingers muttering what Zuko had said "Lady Suki is engaged, Lady Toph is to young --- Lady Katara is spoken for?" his Uncle asked.

Zuko sighed, slightly shocked that his Uncle wasnt aware of Aang and hers relationship. "She's been dating Aang since I can remember Uncle." Zuko answered tersely, he was growing tired of this constant "Let's marry off Zuko!" game his Uncle was playing.

"Oh I'm only playing around Zuko." his Uncle teased.  
"Can you just let me take a nap, then you can marry me off to some Kyoshi warrior?" Zuko asked dryly, his Uncle chuckled at his remark.  
Zuko slept for a good thirty minutes when he was awoken by his Uncle, "Sokka is here to see you." his Uncle said announcing the water tribe boy.  
Sokka walked into the room examine it, as if he expected Zuko to redecorate or something.

"You want to sit?" Zuko asked awkwardly waving a hand to a cushion, Sokka did so, sitting cross legged in front of Zuko, "Soo I'm here to talk about your duties as my best man." Sokka explained.

"It can't be that difficult, the best man for a fire nation man is simply to stand next to them and make sure the groom doesn't pass out." Zuko said assuming he'd be doing the same here.

"Well the best man has further responsibilities then that for water tribesmen." Sokka explained, Zuko swallowed, from his travels to the South and North Pole's he half expected Sokka to inform they had to go on some boat ride or slay a Saber Tooth Moose Lion.

"Oh don't look like that!" Sokka said looking at his worried friends face, "All you have to do is escort my sister to Suki's side then dance with her at the reception."

"Wait why do I have to dance with your sister?" Zuko asked a little confused, that was the most random tradition he's heard for a wedding, why would he dance with someone he wasn't involved with, it didn't seem appropriate.

"Well normally the maid of honor and best man are married, or at least seriously involved." Sokka explained causally, not at all noticing the look on Zuko's face, then he finally did, "Oh its okay Aang knows." Sokka explained further, "He's okay with it."

"Oh okay good, I don't want to cause any tension" Zuko said uncomfortably, looking into his lap and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well I'll see you at the feast!" Sokka said cheerily slapping Zuko on the shoulder as he walked out the door.

Zuko groaned, he was no longer so sure about excepting Sokka's invite to being best man anymore.  
"Uncle I'm going to go for a walk!" Zuko said to his Uncle who was in the small kitchen making himself tea, "Okay Zuko, be back before dinner so you can clean up."

"Yes Uncle." Zuko said leaving the room and building.  
He walked listlessly through the town ignoring just about everyone who tried to say hello to him, he was lost deep in thought.  
Zuko eventually found himself on the beach standing towards the edge of the surf, the water licking at the toes of his boots, the light breeze cooling his face.  
Zuko officially decided he really loved the ocean.  
He stood in complete calm silence until it was broken by a familiar voice.

"Hey Zuko." it said, Zuko turned around and smiled it was Suki.  
"Hey Suki." he said turning his attention to the ocean again.  
She smiled up at her friend, standing beside him enjoying the view of the water in silence, "How are you doing?" she asked trying to start conversation.  
He simply shrugged in reply. Suki made a face, she knew Zuko wasn't the master of communication, but it was still slightly irksome.  
"Why didn't Mai come with you?" she asked.  
Zuko noticeably stiffened, "Oh.." Suki trailed noticing the tension in his body at his girlfriends name.  
"Sorry, its all my Uncle has been talking about since you've gotten engaged," Zuko explained "and I'm pretty sure Mai and I are over."  
Suki put a hand on his shoulder, "Oh I'm sorry." she said softly.  
"It's okay, I should of known better, we never really did anything together but sit around and stare at each other anyway." Zuko explained shrugging, surprised at himself for sharing.  
"Does your Uncle feel you should wed or something?" Suki inquired.  
"Yea he does." Zuko snorted.

The two friends fell back into a silence for a moment, "I better go back to my room, I need to take a bath before dinner." Zuko explained bowing to Suki and leaving the beach.

* * *

_One day later_

"Katara rise and shine its the day!" Aang said into his girlfriends sleeping ear.  
It took Katara a few seconds to come to, she sat in her bed rubbing her eyes.  
"Oh my spirits! Today's the wedding!" Katara exclaimed rolling out of bed and dashing into the main of the house.  
"Where's Suki, Sokka can't see her till tonight, its bad luck." Katara explained to no one in particular.  
She threw open Sokka and Suki's bedroom door, the young couple was still asleep, Sokka's arm was rest protectively over Suki's this waist.  
She tiptoed over to Suki and shoke her shoulder, "Suki, Suki get up! Sokka can't see you till the wedding!" Katara explained excitedly.  
Suki slowly opened her eyes staring at Katara in confusion then it hit her, it was her wedding, Suki's eyes flashed with both worry and excitement at the same time while she pulled herself out of Sokka's embrace.  
"We have to start preparing!" Katara said taking her friends hand and pulling her out of the bedroom and into hers.

"Aang go wake up Zuko and tell him to get over here, him and Sokka have things to do!" Katara demanded the young boy who was eating a pear in the kitchen.  
"The Kyoshi warriors are taking care of everything Katara, we don't have to lift a finger today." Suki explained curling into a ball on the bed in the guestroom.

"Are they decorating?" Katara asked.  
"Yes." Suki answered.  
"The food?"  
"Yes."  
"The set up and what not?"  
"Yes, Katara yes," Suki said sitting up now "There doing everything."  
"Oh." Katara said lowering herself onto the bed next to her friend.  
Suki looked at Katara's appearance she was still in her night gown and her hair was sticking out in crazy positions. Suki shook her head and laid back down, "Katara just go back to sleep, we can wake up later and we can get ourselves ready." Suki said patting the pillow beside her.  
"But I had Aang go wake up Zuko" Katara said in worry picturing the angry fire bender storming all the way to the house only to learn he could of slept in another hour.

"Oh don't worry about that, he rises with the sun remember?" Suki said "Now sleep!" she commanded.  
Katara obliged and laid down next to Suki, staring at the ceiling, when she noticed her friend was doing the same.  
"You're getting married." Katara grinned

* * *

Suki and Katara were sitting in front a mirror fixing there makeup, Katara ran a brush of pale glitter over her eyelid then dabbing it in the corners of her tear ducts.  
Suki dabbed bright red lipstick on her full lips.  
"You look fabulous Suki" Katara said taking a brush threw her wavy hair which would be pulled back into a tight bun.  
"So do you." Suki said there were warmed curlers in her short hair to make it have a slight wave.

The wedding was in three hours.  
and everyone was in a fuss getting ready for the event.

"We need to take the curlers out of your hair so you can put on your dress" Katara said applying a layer of mascara to her lashes.  
As the maid of honor she had to wear a simple apperance so not to take away from the bride, she only wore glitter on her eyes, mascara and her hair pulled back. Where as Suki wore, pale gold eyeshadow, mascara and lipstick with her hair styled in waves.

Katara stood behind Suki gently removing the curlers letting her soft brown hair fall into loose ringlets around her face.  
Her dress was on a hanger hooked to the top of the guest rooms door.  
"Here let me help you into this." Katara said taking down the dress and unzipping the back, Suki in only her undergarments stepped into the gown and pulled up her shoulders, the fit was perfection.

Katara zipped the back and moved aside so Suki could see her reflection.  
She simply just stared at herself, glowing.  
Katara smiled as she sat back down to do her own hair, wetting a comb and pulling her long thick brown hair into a low bun.  
Katara slipped into her own dress which was a sky blue long, one shouldered dress made of silk, the material clung to her body like a dress should.

She stood next to her friend staring at her reflection, she had to admit she herself looked amazing.  
"We look damn good." Katara said smiling at her friend in the mirror.

Katara stood behind Suki, who stood across from Sokka who looked on the verge of tears, dressed in finest Water Tribe wedding garb, and he behind her brother stood Zuko who looked stoically ahead in a all black get up.  
Katara's heart was beating a mile a minute as she heard her brother and friend exchange vows tearily.

For a moment her gaze meet Zuko's who smiled calmly at her.  
She remembered as they were walking down the isle behind Suki and Sokka, arms linked he had bent over and told her she'd looked nice. His raspy voice in her ear had sent her blood pressure skyrocketing for some unknown reason she could not place.

"Do you Sokka of the water tribe take Suki of Kyoshi Island to be yours?" the mayor of the town asked.  
"Yes, I do." Sokka said tightly.  
"Do you Suki of Kyoshi Island take Sokka of the water tribe to be yours?" he asked.  
"Yes, I do." Suki said, tears threatening any moment.  
"Then take hands" the mayor commanded.

Sokka and Suki grasped hands as the mayor tied a green and blue ribbon over the couple outreached hands.  
"With this tie I do bind you to each other as husband and wife, you may now kiss in confirmation of this fact." the mayor said stiffly slowly pulling the ribbon off of there hands.

Suki threw herself into Sokka's arms as they plastered each other with kisses.  
"You are now man and wife." the mayor annoced.  
The audience of guests stood cheered.  
Music took off and Sokka and Suki practically skipped down the isle hand in hand.  
Zuko and Katara meet at the middle of the top step and linked arms and followed.

"That was nice." Zuko said quietly to Katara as they walked slowly down the isle together.  
"Yea it was." Katara agreed, leaning her head into his arm, he looked down curiously at her half wanting to smile at this and wanting to shake her off.  
"Now for the party." Zuko said through his teeth, he wasn't a fan of crowds after all.

* * *

The reception party had been raging on for about three hours now, it was set up in the center of the town, there was a long table where the newlyweds sat surrounded by there family and food.  
Sokka and Suki were talking animatedly to friends and family that approached them. They had already done the traditional first dance and had thankfully forgotten about the one he and Katara were meant to do.  
His Uncle had long since left him and was now sitting with Hadoka and Piando fellow white lotus members and parents alike laughing and drinking.  
So now Zuko sat alone observing the crowd knocking back cups of honeymoon beer and sake.

Zuko watched Aang, Toph and Teo taking turns swallowing mouthfuls of sake as Katara scolded them, though sneaking long swallows of the beer herself.  
Apparently it was the first time the three children were capable of drinking freely.  
Unlike Zuko who had plenty occasions, his father had left a nice supply of sake in the family study, though Zuko never really was fond of ever drinking it, but tonight seemed like a good night to get drunk.

"Zuko my nephew why don't you go socialize!" his Uncle slurred slightly walking up to Zuko, he took a look around the table at the half empty bottle of sake and three empty bottles of beer "It is never good to drink alone Zuko" his Uncle said, discreetly corking and sneaking away the bottle of sake.  
"Go find a lady and dance." his Uncle continued waving a hand out to the dance floor where Sokka and Suki now were giggling and clinging onto each other.

Zuko grunted in response, his head slightly fuzzy from the liquor.  
His Uncle tipsily stared across the courtyard and called "Lady Katara! Come here wont you?"

"Uncle! what are you doing!" Zuko hissed standing up but then immediately sitting back down as the alcohol rushed threw his veins.  
Zuko smacked his hand to head as if that would steady him.

He watched Katara as she wobbled her way over to him and his Uncle, she was clearly more off then he was.  
"Yes?" she asked his Uncle sweetly.  
His Uncle smiled widely at Katara, "Would dance with my nephew here, he hasn't all night and everyone knows one must dance at least once at a wedding!" his Uncle slurred excitedly.  
Katara giggled and looked down at Zuko who was glaring at the ground.  
"Come on Zuko!" she said sweetly holding out a hand to him, Zuko couldn't resist such charm in his current state, so he took it and let her lead him to the dance floor.

Zuko and Katara swayed clumsily to the music, he was clutching her hand with his and his other hand was around her waist, holding her close so she wouldn't tip over.  
Katara giggled "You're so warm." as they swayed to the music.  
Zuko only smiled, he seemed to be unable to form words.  
Katara's eyes were glazed over, and her words seemed to run together.

They danced to two songs when Zuko tried to excuse himself in hopes to get himself more drunk so he could forget this whole evening.  
He hated parties after all.

The song switched to slow, "Oooh a slow song!" Katara squealed, clutching to Zuko.  
"Katara I think that's enough dancing," He said trying to pry the drunk girl off him "you should probably go to sleep." he was wondering what exactly caused her to get so drunk anyway, she never seemed like the type to want and loose grasp of reality like this.

But she wouldn't loosen her hold, "Damn she's strong" Zuko thought giving in letting her drape her arms around his neck and lay her head on his chest.  
Zuko was almost starting to enjoy dancing with her, he rested his chin gently on her head, and put his arms around her waist as they rocked back and forth to the music.

Zuko's eyes scanned the crowd, most the guests had dispersed as the party was winding down but Suki and Sokka were also dancing slowly not far off from them and Aang and Toph had passed out on a table, for spirits knows what reason.

"Katara?" Zuko asked into her hair, "Hm?" Katara asked.  
"Why did you get so drunk?" he asked as smoothly as his tipsy brain would let him, he expected her to ignore this question or just giggle in response but instead she said "Do you see Aang?"

"Yea," Zuko answered looking at the boy who was dead asleep next to Toph on the long table "What about him?" he asked.  
"He doesn't want to settle down, so we fought, so I drank," she said burying her head further into Zuko's warm chest, "You're so warm." She said sleepy.  
Zuko's mouth curled into a small smile and continued to dance to the waning song, completely unaware of his Uncle watching them with a very pleased look on his face.

* * *

A/N: Sooo what chu think? that's code for review not just subscribe by de way :D  
I tried my best on this one, I know its very un-Katara to get punch drunk, but its a party, come on! but its very Zuko, the boy is socially awkward what the hell else is he gonna do? make balloon animals for the kids? I think not! lol

And for those who know what honeymoon beer is, I give you kudos! I figured I should work that in since the name of the chapter.

Also I like exploring the whole Sokka and Zuko being best friends, I feel like they would be, and since Suki is Sokka's woman her also being one of his best friends.  
I've read a lot of fics where Aang and Zuko are best friends post war, but I don't think that would ever happen, Zuko is to intense and Aang is to childlike for that to even work out well.

And my computer is being a really bitch and fucking up all over the place so my spelling is 50x worse in this new update, I apologize.

anyways! **Now go review asap** that's an order!!! :D

_Fueled by: Under the Honeymoon - The Good Life_


	5. Chap 5

* * *

Run.

* * *

A/N: It's my birthday today.

* * *

Chap 5: So long, So lonesome

The wedding had just ended and Katara and Aang were in there guest room touching up their appearances.  
Katara ran the wet comb threw her hair and re knotting it to the back of her head, Aang watch carefully from the bed, his legs rocking back and forth, the toes of his shoes skimming the wooden floor.

Katara watched Aang in the mirror, "Wasn't that a lovely ceremony?" she asked her boyfriend of almost 5 years.  
Aang replied with a shrug, he was now petting Momo who landed on his lap making soft throaty noises.

"I wonder what my wedding wil be like?" Katara mused spinning in a circle picturing a traditional Water Tribe wedding.

She was dressed in a white gown trimmed in seal lion fur, her hair braided in a orenatial fashion. She was standing by the sea, the bitterly cold wind stinging her cheeks as she reached her hand out to her soon to be husband ---

Her daydreaming was cut off by Aang, "Katara you know monks don't get married." Aang said quietly winding Momo's tail around his finger.

Katara was a bit taken back by this statement, "Oh, well --- I know." she said a little disappointed, the romantic in her had hoped Aang would answer her question by telling her it would be the greatest day of her life, or it'd be whatever she dreamed it to be.

Instead she got a rejection that felt like a slap in the face.  
"Aang, I've been meaning to ask you.." Katara trailed, standing in front of him, her eyes down casted "When can we settle? I mean stop traveling the globe?" Katara asked feebly now looking him straight in the eye, her confidence growing rapidly.

Aang sighed, "Katara we've been over this, I'm a nomad, nomads travel." Aang said now standing both of her hands on his own "Plus the world needs me." he added.

Katara narrowed her large eyes at him, "The world needs you?" she asked in a low voice.  
Aang nodded in response.

"Aang the world hasn't needed you for years, everything is fine and safe the other nations have accepted the Fire Nation, and there are no known disputes." Katara hissed pulling her hands out of Aang's.

"Katara -" Aang started but was cut off by her "I think your just afraid! you're afraid of settling in some town and having a life, you just want to flit around the globe like some refugee!" Katara's voice was rising, she knew she was being irrational but all her bottled feelings of oppression had popped out and now streamed freely, "Or maybe you're still feeling sorry for yourself!" she said spitefully.

"What are you talking about Katara?" Aang demanded backing up from the fuming girl, "When did you become so selfish, huh? It's my duty to the world to 'flit around'" a slightly hint of venom entering Aang's voice. Katara's brow twitched and her face was burning with anger, she stood in a attack position with no intention to actually do so.

"Aang, I'm just tired of traveling, I haven't been to the South Pole in a year, I want to see my family, I want a house I can decorate." Katara's voice lost some of its steely edge as she approached Aang slowly trying to reach him, but he shook her off his slate grey eyes narrowed at her in both disbelief and anger.

"No Katara, that's not how it is with me." Aang said coldly walking towards the door of the room, "Let's go to the party." He said slamming it behind him leaving Katara standing alone unsure if she should cry or scream.

Katara sat at the right hand side of Suki fiddling with her fork hardly listening or paying attention to the world around her, if anyone had said a word to her in the past hour there was no way it was registered in her brain, Katara was pondering, pondering on nothing at all.

She was finally broken from her spell by Toph, "Hey Sugar Queen, you've been quiet all night." Toph said sitting next to Katara and helping herself to her food, Katara smiled weakly at the small girl, who looked awfully nice that evening, she had worn a fine green and pink kimono and her dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and it actually looked clean for once.  
"Kickin' party isn't?" Toph asked, Katara's eyes scanned the courtyard;

The trees were decorated with paper lanterns of all colors, above the dance floor pale yellow ropelights were streamed above it being held up by thin white poles that were wrapped with pale pink ribbons, a group of musicians were huddled in a corner playing soft and upbeat music, there was a small round table with finger foods and the large five tier wedding cake, there was a table next to it covered in colored bottles of sake and honeymoon beer with small glasses for drinking it out of, bordering the dance floor were low tables covered in white tablecloths where the party guests ate and drank, Katara recognized many of the faces but some she did not.

It had seemed people from Kyoshi had gate crashed the reception but no one seemed to care, most of them were teenagers, who Katara saw a group of some sneaking a bottle of sake and several bottles of honeymoon beer run off into the woods where they had set up a small bonfire to drink around.  
Even the adults were sitting around tables taking long drinks straight from bottles having drunken arguments or telling obscure drunken jokes.

"That sake stuff is delicious." Toph said, Katara took notice to a glass in Toph's hand "Toph you shouldn't be drinking alcohol" Katara scolded, reaching for the glass but Toph smacked her hand away, "Relax Sugarqueen, we've been drinking all night!" Toph said grinning widely at her.

"We?" Katara asked her eyes scanning the crowd as if that would shed some light on who 'we' was.

"Me, Teo, Aang, Haru.." Toph listed off on her fingers but was cut off by Katara who stormed off looking for Aang, and whoever else.

"Aang!" Katara called to Aang who was sitting at the end of the long table with Teo, the boys were taking turns knocking back drinks, "What are you doing?" Katara demanded.

"Playing a drinking game with Teo." Aang smiled weakly.  
"Yea and why?" Katara demanded snatching away the sake bottle.  
"You can't tell me what to do Katara." Aang said coldly apparently still peeved from their fight, getting up and grabbing a sake bottle was was a few seats away from his own.  
Katara stared blankly at the boy before storming off back to her seat.

The party was winding down and Katara felt like she was floating on clouds, her tongue felt thick like she had a ladleful of honey butter on it, the world seemed to have faded on its edges a bit and everything seemed so wonderful.

It turned out that sake wasn't so bad after all, once you got over the first few gulps of it, and Katara had finished a bottle and half now.  
"Ya know, I think I have the courage now!" she said to no one at all, as she was sitting on the ground behind a table, where exactly she was located, she hadn't a clue.

Katara stumbled up to Aang, Teo and Toph who were laughing hysterically, they were almost as drunk as she was.  
"AANG!" she yelled, but pointing her finger at a tree, Aang blinked at her then laughed.  
"How dare you laugh at me." Katara said but it came out all slurred and ran together, this of course made Aang laugh more which caused Teo and Toph to join in.

Katara pointed a finger at them, slowly tipping backwards.  
"I'm going to --- do something else." Katara said her words thick, she wobbled away from them but not before snatching away a bottle of honeymoon beer for herself.  
Katara's feelings were hurt but they were numbed down with the pain killing effect of the alcohol.

Katara was heading back to nowhere in particular to lay down and go to sleep as her mind felt like it was full of the clouds she was walking on, when she heard someone call for her.

"Katara, come dance with my nephew." without hearing the rest or really any of what General Iroh had said she sweetly agreed to his request.

Katara now found herself dancing with a slightly drunk Zuko, they were both equally as clumsy in there states if mind, so if one who was not drunk watched the ordeal would get quite a laugh out of it.  
Katara found Zuko's presence extremely confronting not to mention he was so warm.  
"You're so warm." she told him looking up into his hazy gold eyes.

A slow song started, and he tried to squirm away, he was noticeably uncomfortable but Katara refused to let him leave, putting her arms around his neck and swaying to the music in unison with him. As the song slowed she took her arms from his neck and put them on his chest, resting her head there.

Katara hadn't been this comfortable in a long time "You're so warm." she slurred again, her eyelids dropping, she nuzzled her head further into his chest as she felt him rest his chin on her head, Katara hadn't felt that comfortable in a long time.

Katara woke the next morning in her bed not entirely sure how she got there, she groggily rubbed her eyes, there was a dull pain throbbing behind them.  
That is when she remembered the night before, Katara groaned in discomfort, Zuko had obviously carried her pasted out body back here and tucked her in.  
Katara blushed in spite of herself thinking back to how she danced with Zuko, "How embarrassing." she mumbled to herself, slowly rising her sore body from the bed. She was still in her bridesmaid dress but her hair had broken free from its bun and now fell in knots around her shoulders.

She was in need of a bath, Katara walked to the bedroom door and locked it in case someone was to disturb, she unzipped her dress and let it fall to her ankles.  
Katara walked naked into the bathroom and started to fill the tub with steaming water, indoor plumbing was one of the fire nations top economic strengths now and Katara understood why, a hot bath was a wonderful thing.

Katara sunk into the steaming water, submerging all of herself including her head.  
Katara stayed under the water until she needed to breath. All the crap from the night before came rushing back to her causing a strange heaviness to settle on her chest. Katara scrubbed her hair with soap till her scalp was pink, she did the same with her skin.

Katara sat in the tub till the water cooled off significantly, she was avoiding leaving the room in chance that she might run into Aang, but she pulled herself out of it anyways, drying off her skin, and pulling on her clothes.

Katara wandered quietly into the kitchen her beating quickly in fear that Aang might be waiting for her, thankfully the only person present was Toph.  
"Hey there Sugar Queen, want some breakfast?" Toph asked her.

Katara nodded forgetting for a moment that Toph was blind.  
"Where's Sokka and Suki?" Katara asked slicing open a fruit and sprinkling sugar on it.  
"Oh they left for there honeymoon last night, didn't say goodbye to anyone just up and left." Toph explained spearing her sausage.

Katara smiled sadly, she was slightly disappointed that her brother didn't say goodbye but yet she was also happy for him.

"What happened with you twinkle toes last night?" Toph asked breaking the peaceful silence that had fallen between them.  
"Oh, nothing." Katara lied quietly.  
"Puhlease!" Toph said loudly, "I could feel angry and upset vibrations coming off the both of you most of the night!"

"We just had a fight that's all" Katara said quietly to the blind girl.  
"Yea, he mentioned something like that.." Toph trailed swirling around her eggs before putting them in her mouth, "What about?" she asked brightly chewing on the eggs with her mouth open causing Katara to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"It was nothing, okay Toph?" Katara answered rubbing her temples, her hang-over was taking its full extent now, so she took some water from the pitcher at the table and water bended it to her temples swirling it in a soothing motion, taking the headache away.

Katara and Toph finished there meals in silence.  
"I'm going to go down the beach, think a little maybe practice my bending." Katara told Toph. "Okay Sugar Queen, I'll see you before I leave right?" Toph asked the older girl. "Of course you will" Katara said leaning down to give her a slight hug.

Katara made her way down the beach, the entire town was a mess, empty bottles and plates were on the streets, and streamers hung from roofs and tree tops.  
The whole island had a sleepy feeling about it.

She was stopped every so often by people who had attended the party and were packing up and leaving that day, most of which were people from the water tribes.  
Pakku and Gran Gran being two of them.

Katara was saying her farewells to them,  
"It was so good to see you Gran Gran." Katara said hugging her grandmother.  
"It was good to see you too child" Gran Gran said resting a weathered hand on Katara's face smiling at her.  
"And you to Master Pakku." Katara said bowing to her old sifu, he bowed in return grinning widely at her, "We'll be seeing you soon I hope?" Pakku asked her.  
"I'm not sure.." Katara trailed looking down at her feet the feeling of guilt hitting her.  
"Ah I see then, well farewell Katara" Pakku said again bowing.

More and more people she'd known from her travels over the years stopped her and spared a few words with her before they left.  
Feeling such acknowledgement left Katara feeling both loved and slightly lonely when she finally reached the beach.  
Katara pulled off her boots and dug her toes into the cool sand, breathing in the ocean air as its breeze brushed past her.

Katara walked for awhile in the foamy water that just breached the beach before pulling back into the ocean, when she was startled by the sight of Zuko who was standing alone and stiffly looking out into the horizon.  
She walked quietly up to him and stood next to him quietly staring out into sea as well, Katara wasn't entirely sure if he was aware of her presence.

"I've missed the ocean." his raspy voice startled her, causing her to jump a little.  
"I never took you as a beachy type." Katara replied, not shifting her body but looking up at his face.  
"I never thought I was either, until I was confined to a office." Zuko said smoothly not moving his stare from the horizon.

Katara nodded in simple reply waiting for him to finish his thinking, over the time they traveled together Katara had learned that mediation was important to Zuko and he was not to be disturbed when he was doing so.

Zuko finally broke his train of thought and turned to face her, looking down at her face with his gold eyes that seemed to burn.  
Katara's heart jumped involuntarily at the intensity in his eyes, the way it always did when he looked directly at her like that.

"I have a question." he plainly stated.  
Katara furrowed her brow, "Yes?" she asked curiously backing away from slightly as there was but a sliver of space between there bodies.

"What was up with you last night?" Zuko asked, his tone was laced with concern and disapproval.  
Katara felt heat rise up to her cheeks,her memory of the night before was foggy at best but she still remembered her forwardness whilst dancing with him.

"I-I guess I uhm lost control, I was upset." Katara answered less smoothly then she hoped.  
Zuko frowned either he was unsatisfied with this answer or he was confused Katara couldn't tell, his expressions were always difficult to read and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Zuko actually showing concern towards her.

"Yea, Toph told me you and Aang had some fight." Zuko said returning his gaze to the water.

"Wait, what?" Katara asked as she fumbled for the words.  
"When did Toph have time to tell him this?" Katara thought.

"She told me at breakfast, she came to our hotel room." Zuko answered, returning his gaze to Katara's confused face as if he had read her mind.

"What'd she say we fought about?" Katara demanded slightly peeved that Toph was blabbering about things she didn't know about to other people.

Zuko shrugged, "She just said that she felt you guys fighting last night and that's why you both got so plastered." Zuko explained.  
Katara frowned and simply said "Oh."

A comfortable silence fell amongst them.  
Katara dropped herself into the sand, still next to Zuko, she sat cross legged and drew shapes in the sand with her fingers.  
Zuko eventually sat next to her, but with his legs outstretched, leaning on his palms behind his back.

Katara took a deep breath, "You know what we fought about?" she asked him, her eyes on the shapes she was drawing in the sand.  
Zuko looked at her, and shook his head in response.

"I want to stop traveling around the world, I want to find home." Katara said tiredly drawing the symbols of the nations in the sand.  
"but since Aang is the Avatar and a nomad he insists that he must travel till the end of his life." she added, tracing out the Air Nation symbol.

Zuko had now started drawing out the Fire Nation symbol in the sand with his fingers, just a few spaces from her drawing of the Air Nation's.

"Which is such crap, and he knows it." Katara said now starting on the Earth Nation's symbol and Zuko starting on the Water Nation's.

"I just think he's afraid the world will fall apart without him." Katara finished looking at Zuko expectantly.

Zuko took a deep breath, "There's nothing wrong with wanting a home." he said quietly studying her face.  
Katara couldn't read what emotion was behind his gold eyes, as she watched him curiously.

There a moment of silence before Zuko spoke again,  
"The fire nation could be your home, if you ever wanted it to be." Zuko said his raspy voice. Katara smiled, "Thank you Zuko." she said hugging him.

The Fire Lord and Master Bender smiled at each other then returned there eyes to watch the ebb and flow of the sea.

* * *

A/N: This was basically all in Katara's POV, which I feel was needed since most of this story so far is in Zuko's.  
I tried really hard to write Aang in character but for some reason I just can't get him, I even watched reruns of the show last night to see if that'd help.  
I based the reception on my families get togethers since everyone in my family from 15 to 50 is drunk and running around like crazies at them, I guess that's what it means to be a Irish American after all lol.

I hoped you liked this update.  
Reviews make excellent birthday presents by the way. (;

Until next time.

* * *

_Fueled by: So long, So lonesome - Explosions in the sky  
(if you're into instrumental music, I highly recommend their music, its kind of amazing.)_


	6. Chap 6

Run

* * *

Chap 6: I do not hook-up

Team Avatar had one last group meal before Zuko left with his Uncle for the Fire Nation.  
They all were circled around a table in the lodge that Zuko was staying in, all familiar faces. They were all there expect Sokka and Suki who had left the night of the reception for there honeymoon without even saying goodbye to anyone, including Hadoka who was a little irked by his son's sudden romantic outburst to whisk away his new bride to there honeymoon location, which no one was entirely sure was located.

"So Sparky did Snoozles give any hint where he was taking Fans?" Toph asked Zuko, the little earthbender was sitting on his right and his Uncle his left, through out the meal the two of them had carried out a conversation over Zuko, leaning forward in front of him trying to get there points across, at one point Toph's elbow had landed in Zuko's cup of tea, which caused quite a commotion.

"No idea, but I gave my house on Ember Island to him, so I guess he could of gone there --- though I hope not its probably still being fixed up for them." Zuko said stirring his fresh cup of tea.

"You gave Snoozles your summer house?!" Toph exclaimed loudly, loud enough for the enitre table to hear. Zuko felt all eyes on him, he felt his face heat up in embarrassment.  
"Uhhm, yea I did." Zuko mumbled slouching low in his seat.

"But why?! That was such a nice place why wouldn't you want it!?" Toph demanded, which of course made the entire company stare even more at Zuko, curious to hear his answer but he remained silent, sinking as low as he could in his seat without dropping to the floor.

"Zuko that place was in your family for years, and you just gave it away?" Aang had now joined in, his big grey eyes wide with curiosity and surprise.  
Zuko looked helplessly at his Uncle who appeared to have no attention in helping him out.

"I had no use for it, I hadn't stepped foot in the place since we all were hiding out there plus Sokka really like it back then, he'll get more use out of it then I ever could." Zuko explained his eyes scanning the company of people.

"I guess that makes sense then." Toph said pursuing her lips as if she were thinking, "wait what about you and Mai, couldn't you guys use for alone time." Toph asked raising her eyebrows suggestively at the last part.

Zuko's face flushed as he stammered for an answer or explanation to Toph's suggestion but thankfully both his Uncle rescued him with the simplest of statements, "Lady Bei Fong, has my nephew ever come across as a fan of beach parties?" his Uncle stated sipping his tea.

His Uncle's answer had caused Katara to burst out into laughter, she was silent for most of the meal, sitting at the end of the table with her father and Aang, both of them now looking at her as if she were crazy.  
"Beach party!" she laughed slapping the table, "Oh come on Aang like you don't remember!" Katara laughed looking at the Avatar.  
That's when the boy's face lit up in recognition to what Katara was laughing about so he also started to laugh.

"Someones going to have to fill me in..." Hakoda said looking at the laughing children to Zuko who was also rather confused, as Toph had now joined in the hysterics.

"Sparky, don't you remember your last beach party?" Toph asked through her laughs "you destroyed Sokka's sand sculpture of Suki when you were attacking Aang, 'trying to teach him a lesson'" she quoted imitating his low raspy voice.  
Zuko smiled a little remember the day all those years ago.

Zuko now sat in his quarters waiting to arrive in the Fire Nation, he sat in front of a table laden in white candles, the small orange flames lowering and raising in the steady rhythm of his breathe.

He and his Uncle had been on the ship for quite some time now and were coming up to the Fire Nation, Zuko was dreading his return.  
How strange was it that years ago he would do anything to set foot on Fire Nation soil but now he'd much rather sit on a beach in the Earth Kingdom with his old friends.  
How strange things had turned out, Zuko mused to himself.

"Fire Lord Zuko we have reached the Gates of Azulon." one of the officers said through his cracked door.  
Zuko nodded in reply, standing and stretching his stiff legs.  
He needed to wake his Uncle, Zuko was sure he was asleep in his quarters across the hall, either that or in the galley making tea, but instead Zuko had found him on the deck playing Pai Sho with one of the commanders.

"Uncle, they've said we'll be reaching the Fire Nation soon, would you like me to call ahead and prepare you transport back to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked tiredly rubbing his dry eyes, he had another nightmare that night. Hence his vigorous mediatiation.

"No nephew I think I'll be staying in the capital for a while. I miss the homeland from time to time you know" his Uncle said cheerily moving one of his pieces to counter attack the commander's.

"I'm glad to hear it Uncle, its gets pretty lonely around the palace." Zuko said putting a hand over his mouth trying desperately to stifle a yawn.

"You should go take a nap nephew, wouldn't want you to be tired when arriving home, who knows what's waiting for you." his Uncle winked.  
Zuko furrowed his brow he hadn't a clue what his Uncle was talking about, but he did long to sleep.

Zuko pulled off his black shirt and crawled under the blankets of the futon in his quarters and drifted off into a heavy dream plagued sleep...

_The firebending masters Ran and Shao encircled him their acrid breathe causing his eyes to water, "Fire Lord Zuko." the blue chanted in Aang and Sokka's voices "What did we tell you?"  
Now the red dragon was joining in with Oazi and Azula's voices, "You can hardly keep yourself, how could you keep another." it taunted.  
Zuko was sitting stock still on the cushion trying to find his voice, when he finally did the dragons vanished._  
Zuko woke in his room, coated in sweat, confused and shaking.  
There was knocking on his door, "ZUKO?" his Uncle called from the other side of it.  
Zuko lifted his body from the bed which he noticed the sheets were singed a bit from his escalated body heat.

The cushion was yanked from under him and he plummeted through the blackness of the void he was in and landed softly on hot sand of a dessert, he stood and looked around, in the far distance he saw a tall tower, out of the tower lept a blue blur, it was heading towards him with a shocking speed. Slowly the blur came into focus, it was Katara she grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her.  
"Come on! I found her!" she said frantically, as they ran it was if they were simply gliding acorss the sand but he lost her grasp and slide, he kept sliding.

Zuko slide from sand to ice in a split second, he was in the spirit oasis, his nose was but inches from the water in the pool, where two koi fish circled each other.  
Tui and La.

Zuko swallowed pulling his face up, across from him on the other side of the pond sat his mother and next to his mother, Katara. Both women beamed at him, their eyes glassy with unshed tears.

When in crawled his father Oazi and his sister Azula, they both stood a few feet behind the two women, lightening swirling from Azula's fingertips to Oazi's, they both smiled cruelly at Zuko, pointed there fingers at Katara and Ursa, and fired.  
Zuko screamed, shutting his eyes to the sight of them being electrocuted.

"Zuko! What happened?!" his Uncle said in a panic, throwing open the door running over towards Zuko and putting his hands on his shoulders but quickly removed them, "Ow! Zuko your burning hot!" his Uncle said waving his hands back and forth trying to cool them.

"I'm sorry Uncle!" Zuko exclaimed slightly panicked that he had invertintly raised his body heat so high, "I just -- I just had a nightmare." Zuko stammered looking down at his bare feet guilty.

His Uncle studied him for a few more moments before saying they were about to dock in the capital and to be ready to leave.

Zuko dressed in his heavy standard Fire Lord robes for his arrival back in the city, he would more then likely be greeted by a small audience of supporters and he simply couldn't walk amongst his people dressed in a plain pair of trousers and tunic.

The people of the Fire Nation cheered as he walked down the plank of his ship to the dock below, his Uncle was a few steps behind and they were flanked with guards.  
Zuko's face remained impassive as his people tried to reach out to him either in praise or in insult.  
Though he hardly used them, a palanquin was waiting for him at the end of the dock to carry him back to the palace, there was also one for his Uncle.

When he arrived back at the palace he ordered his servants to unpack and wash the clothing he brought with him on his trip, and to freshen up his Uncle's room, as before their trip he was staying in a guest room.

It was later that evening at dinner when Zuko's Uncle brought up his nightmares. They were sitting in the dinning room eating there fine food, on silver plates and drinking purified volcanic water.

"Zuko, tell me about these nightmares you're having." his Uncle asked looking at Zuko from across the table.  
They were the only ones sitted at it, and to a passerby it might of looked odd and lonely as the table was built to sit seven and not two.

Zuko breathed deeply, putting down his knife and fork, folding his hands decilatly on the table.

"Well the last two surviving dragons, Ran and Shao are always in them, they mock me about something but I'm entirely sure what" Zuko explained looking from his hands to his Uncle, "Mom is in it to and a dessert, also sometimes Aang and Katara." he explained further. "Somehow in every dream Mom gets taken away right when she's in grasp and Aang is always hurt, and Sokka is always yelling at me about something with Katara looking upset -- Then there's Mai acting sad. Then Oazi is always in it mocking me." Zuko tried to explain as best as he possibly could, the dreams tended to fade and blur in his memory and he was never sure how to explain them whenever people would ask.

"Hm." was all his Uncle responded with, "That is unnerving nephew" he added.  
"What could it possibly mean?" Zuko asked looking eagerly at his Uncle across the table.  
His Uncle sighed and closed his eyes briefly, "I do not know Zuko."

* * *

Back on Kyoshi Island Katara and Aang were saying goodbye to there friends and family while loading up onto Appa.  
"Write, visit, send smoke signals, I don't care how just keep in contact." Hakoda said pulling his daughter into a big hug.  
Katara smiled, trying not cry as she pulled herself into Appa's saddle looking down at her friends and family.

"Yip, Yip!" Aang said to Appa, with a groan the large white bison launched into the air, Katara watched her family grow smaller and smaller as they climbed into the air.

The couple was silent for a several minutes till Aang broke the silence, "Where would you like to go?" he asked stiffly without looking back at Katara.  
They still felt offended from there fight on the night of the wedding, keeping there distances from each other and sparring little words.

Katara sighed, she was tired off how standoffish Aang was being.  
"I'm sorry Aang, for being rude to you the other night, you're right, you're the Avatar and if you feel that you need to keep traveling trying to secure peace then we should continue to travel until you feel its necessary, I was being selfish." Katara apologised in a soft voice, inching to the bald monk seated on Appa's head.  
"It's okay Katara." Aang said looking back at her smiling weakly.

A heavy silence fell over Katara and Aang as they flew west, Katara rested her head on the rim of the saddle watching the terrain below whiz past, a blur of greens, browns and sometimes blues.  
The wind was warm against Katara's cheeks, and knotting her long brown hair.  
She took peace in the silence and strong wind, it were as if it was just her sitting on a quickly moving cloud.

"Aang?" she asked softly, pulling herself from her dreamy state.  
"Yes Katara?" Aang asked from Appa's head.  
"Where are we headed?" Katara asked, she had outstretched her arm letting it sway in the currents of air.  
"The Western Air Temple." he answered simply.

Katara frowned, they hadn't set foot in The Western Air Temple since before the comet, and she really never wanted to ever again.

Sure, she and Aang had flown past it a million of times they had always slowed to watch it pass by, it was still untouched since they resided there, and every time they flew by Katara could feel her heart plummet, the ruins were reeking with memories, the very air clung with whispers of the past and of the war.

It wasn't as if her memories at the temple were bad because they weren't, it was simply that the temple reminded her of the failure they had at the eclipse, and Zuko.

The insane amount of torment she felt when he first joined there group, his original betrayal stung her innards and left a foul taste in her mouth, at those times when they were in the temple the temptation to push him off the cliff over hanging the deep gorge was intense and Katara never wanted to feel that hate for him or anyone again, she knew that stepping into the temple would make her feel guilt and regret.

"But why?" Katara asked Aang completely befuddled.  
"We need to head to the Fire Nation, I want to find out if there are any disturbances or threats to the capital city." Aang explained in his most political tone.

Katara was still confused, Aang could of asked Zuko at the wedding or the day after or really anytime that weekend.  
"Aang, we were with Zuko all weekend, why didnt you just ask then?" Katara asked.  
Aang only shurgged in responce, "Guess it never came up." he answered stiffly.

Katara began to chew on her lip, Aang had been acting so oddly since the day before and Katara couldn't think of what could possibly be upsetting him, she didn't know what she did wrong.

It took Aang and Katara the whole day to reach The Western Air Temple.  
Appa groaned loudly as they landed inside of the upside down ruins, he had landed in the very area they had all once slept.

Katara felt chills run down her body, partly because of the cool air and because the place felt haunted, haunted by the younger versions of her friends and herself.  
There were still remnants of proof that they lived there years ago, a burnt out fire pit and the sleeping bags they had discarded when Azula had attacked them that morning all those years ago.

"Aang." Katara said softly grabbing out for him, she stood in front of the tunnel he and Toph had bended for them to escape in, the ground around it was still scorched from flames Azula had shot at Zuko.

Aang gripped her hand, "I know its weird being back here, but we'll only be here for the night and morning." Aang said leading her to the small fire he had lit in a room away from their original camping spot.

Aang had unbuckled Appa's saddle for them to sleep in, he laid out her sleeping bag on the complete opposite side of the saddle then hers.  
This bothered Katara for some reason.

"Aang why do you do that?" Katara asked pointing to the sleeping bags in the waning daylight.

"Do what?" Aang asked, he was sitting at the fire, he was starting up a stew in a large pot.

"That." Katara said, now walking over to the saddle motioning to the sleeping bags and the gaping distance between them.  
Aang looked confused so she decided to elaborate as calmly as she could.  
"We never sleep together, you're always in a different bed or across the room." Katara explained to him, kicked his bag next to her's determined to change the sleeping arrangements.

Aang was blushing fiercely at Katara's comment, he didn't quite know what to say.  
"I-I guess I like sleeping alone." he said weakly.  
Katara's eyebrows shot up, "How would you know? We've never shared a bed." she asked incredulously.

Aang's mouth kept opening and closing like a fish out of water.  
That's when it hit her, she and Aang hardly ever had physical contact that would be described as one from a four year relationship, they hardly kissed, they never cuddled, they just held hands and hugged on the occasion.  
Katara continued to stare at Aang and the sleeping bags, pushing back thoughts she didn't want to recognize as her own, "I love him, I know I do." she thought stubbornly, "Denial doesn't work." a sing song voice that sounded a lot like Toph said swimming up in her mind to meet her own original thought, sending her into a swirl of conflicted feelings and ideas.

Aang and Katara sat in silence both lost in thought, when again something again occurred to Katara.  
"The Fire Nation, were headed towards The Fire Nation, to see if there has been any threats towards it?" she asked extremely confused now.  
"That makes no sense," Katara thought to herself "If there were threats they would be coming from outside the capital."

Aang sighed deeply, "Okay we're not going to The Fire Nation." he admitted "We're headed towards Aryndune Island."

Katara cut him off "Why are we going there?" Katara exclaimed shooting up from her spot, glaring down at Aang.

A guilty look spread across Aang's face. "I've never been before, I want to see what it's like." he said looking down at his lap like a child being scolded.

Katara's temper had brewed over, like a whistling tea kettle.  
She had enough, enough of his stupid little touristy trips to random places, enough of his recent aloof behavior, and enough of not cuddling. She didn't even care anymore if she was being selfish or immature.

"Are you serious?" she snapped, "You're going to drag me on one of your little tourist trap excursions, again!"

Aang stood up and put up his hands defensively in front of his chest, "Woa come on Katara, I thought we agreed that we'd travel until I thought the world was safe enough." Aang said defensively.

"Yes, yes I did agree to that." Katara snapped putting her hands on her hips, "Like you said, if you thought the world needed protecting and I'm a hundred percent sure there isn't any rebellions brewing on a vacation spot for tourists!"

Aang furrowed his eyebrows, he was getting angry now as well, "And how do you know that?" he barked.

Katara stamped her foot on the rock floor, "Its a vacation island for parents to take there children to! I am not a child! and I don't care about fancy rides!" Katara yelled, her eye beginning to twitch.

"Well look Katara, I'm sorry I like seeing different places and not sharing a bed with you, if you don't like it then leave!" Aang yelled at her, swiping his hand to the great chasm sending a puff of wind out into the distance.  
"Because I'm sorry I'm a monk and a nomad and that's just not good enough for you!" he added his voice laced with mockery.

Katara curled her lip in disgust, half wanting to scream and cry all at the same time, she narrowed her eyes at him staying silent, just staring him down.  
"Fine but this, us, whatever the hell you want to call it, its over." Katara said angerly "I'm leaving."

She stormed up to Appa and climbed on top of his head, grabbing the reins.  
"What are you doing?!" yelled Aang running up to his beloved bison.  
"I'm borrowing Appa, I'll send him back when I reach Ba Sing Se." Katara said dryly but still dripping with anger.

Aang just stood in shock as he watch Katara take his bison and fly off into the night.

* * *

Zuko had finished his breakfast and was now sitting on the bank of the turtleduck pond throwing in chunks of bread at the eager creatures, it was his favorite place in the palace, it reminded him of his mother and of his youth when his life seemed so easy.  
Zuko sat in silence watching the animals fight over the bread and breathing in the spring air, he sat musing over how the day would go and what duties he would have to attend too.

When his train of thought was interrupted by his Uncle, "Zuko, you have a visitor."  
Zuko turned around to face his Uncle, "Who?" he asked his Uncle looking around trying to locate whomever the person might be, but before his Uncle could answer Zuko saw her emerging from her hiding spot behind his Uncle's back, she smiled a small sad smile at him and raised a hand in a awkward wave.  
Zuko frowned, "Katara?"

* * *

A/N: Ohh snapp! Kataang is officially ovah! yayz!  
Now to finish Maiko! Bhahah it's going to be marvelous!

I sort of took advantage of my poetic licence and made up Aryndune Island, if it actually exists I haven't a clue, but I basically intended it to be like the six flags of Avatar world.

Sorry if reading this update was a difficult to read, I was fighting adhd AND writers block, not t mention its 5am :p

Fueled by: I do not hook-up - Kelly Clarkson  
(I don't even like her music, I have no idea why I was listening to this song lmao)


	7. Chap 7

* * *

Run.

* * *

Chap 7: Tstorms/Variazione di un Tango

(The previous day)

The guards opened the heavy door for the tall girl before them, her black shiny hair fell heavy on her shoulders in two pigtails, a style that seemed to perky for such a monotoned person.

Mai slide into the white padded room, her slanted pale eyes silently did a once over of the other girl in the room who was slumped against the back wall studying her hands in her lap.  
"Hello Azula." Mai said coolly, her voice was like dormant knives, silky smooth, cold and sharp.  
Azula only flickered her dark amber eyes to meet her friends, and then returned them to her studying. Mai crouched down opposite of the Princess and simply watched her quietly.

Ty Lee and herself had been visiting Azula since a month after the war ended, there had been very little change in her mental state but the doctors still had some hope. They insisted that if the Princess knew that the people she believed to have betrayed her weren't traitors to her, but rather the cause she and father so supported, she might begin to heal.

It was only a few weeks prior when the doctors had told Mai that her friend's recovery had plateaued, and more then likely cease unless something or someone snapped her out of her almost self induced psychosis.

"How've you been?" Mai asked her friend blandly, a tugging in her gut hoping for some kind of response even a violent one.  
Azula only rolled her head like she was a newborn learning control of the muscles so she could send a quick but connected glare in Mai's direction. As their eyes connected for but a split second Mai could see how broken Azula truly was, there was something wild and dangerous in her eyes, but at the same time something almost childlike as if she were seeking some kind of youthful comfort.

Mai took inhaled and exhaled sharply thinking to herself "Maybe she should see Ozai again --- if only he'd give the location of Lady Ursa, I'm sure she could break free something in Azula."  
Her pondering was cut short by the heavy sound of the door being pulled open.  
Mai smoothly but quickly rose to her feet, perking up just slightly to see who the incoming visitor was, half of her prayed it was a doctor and the other half prayed it wasn't her boyfriend.

She exhaled slowly and rubbed her eyes with her long hands tiredly as she watched the person enter the room, Zuko. The couple just stared dully at each other completely oblivious of their original reason for being at the hospital.

Mai swallowed uncomfortably, "Fire Lord Zuko." she said plainly giving him a quick, sharp bow.  
Zuko furrowed his brow at her formality but quickly shrugged it off and turned his glance to Azula.  
They completely ignored each other as Zuko spoke quietly to his sister.

Mai watched him from the corner she had retreated to, she couldn't help but not deny the truth that was so harsh and simple in front of them though he denied it point blank, she would not.

They were over, they had been for a very long time and she seemed to have known from the beginning. Mai could remember when she approached him as he was dressing for his coronation, there was something different in his eyes and his stance.  
Something in him that was so rooted inside himself had been altered and changed.  
He wasn't the boy she fell in love with all those years ago.

She also harbored a deep sickening jealously for the Avatar and his friends.  
Zuko would laugh freely around them like the weight he permanently carried around with him since he was capable of understanding good and evil was lifted, she never had the ability to rid him of that burden he so insisted on carrying.

Zuko finished sparing words with Azula and turned to Mai, a slight smile flickered over his face as he looked at her. Mai felt her heart twinge, he was completely unawares of what she was going to do.

"Can we speak in the courtyard?" she asked in her typical monotoned voice, he nodded in acceptance and followed her out of the ward and into the garden.

The garden was a small, but pretty place where the more stable patients were allowed to wander during the permitted times.  
Mai briefly wondered if Azula would ever get granted that permission, wincing inwardly remembering the last time she was allowed out of her cell.

"Zuko can we sit?" Mai asked waving a hand to the fountain in the middle of the garden, it was four statues of little girls sitting around a stump drinking tea, an animal each on their heads, a bird, a deer, a squirrel and a fish. Water spurted from the animals, and from the little girls fingertips.

The couple sat next to each other, slanted only just slightly so they could face each other, Mai placed her hands on the cool marble and took a deep breath before looking at Zuko, for some reason the eagerness in his eyes snapped her even temper in two.

"Don't look at me like Zuko, like your jumping out of your skin to kiss me." Mai observed dryly.  
Zuko noticeably flinched at her perceptiveness, "So what's up?" he asked carefully.  
Mai shut her eyes briefly letting the darkness of her shut eyelids comfort her for a split second.

"What is it Mai?" Zuko snapped starting to lose his patience for the slow paced girl.  
"We can't keep fooling ourselves Zuko." Mai responded, meeting his eyes in a sharp glare. The only way she knew she could do this was if she got angry at him, it was an easier emotion to share then sadness.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked her groaning, he seemed terribly tense.  
Mai bared her teeth slightly, her mind reeling for some reason to end the disaster of a relationship but to still keep a friendship but then she realized that they never even had a friendship to begin with, there entire relationship was based on pining away for each other.

Mai scowled more to herself then to anyone, her lips twitching slightly.  
"We're not even friends anymore, we never even have been." she said through clenched teeth in realization to herself and to Zuko.  
Mai sighed deeply, anger boiling in her gut, at what she wasn't entirely sure.

"Mai what are you talking about, we love each other don't we? I'm clearly missing something." Zuko's words came out confused and stumbled.

"You never loved me." Mai answered coldly, studying her long fingers and black lacquered nails.

"What?!" Zuko blanched, his gold eyes wide, "Mai, we've been together f-for spirits knows how long! How on earth can you possibly say that?"

"Zuko, I never loved you either --- well I did, but I didn't..." a hint of sadness had broken into Mai's voice, she mentally slapped herself for showing such weakness especially in front of him, now.

Zuko looked like she had hit him across the face with a heavy saute pan.  
His mouth was slightly a gap, and his eyes were fogged over with either hurt or confusion, which she could never be sure she had always had a hard time reading his face.

He slowly rose from where he was seated and looked down at Mai, placing a strong hand on her shoulder which she shoved off with a swift shrug of her shoulders.  
He studied her cold, pale face for a moment letting realization sink in.

"Right." was all he manged as he walked slowly out of the garden and out of the building and into the streets of the Fire Nation capital.

Mai watched him go, her pale eyes moving slowly in their sockets before heaving a chocked sigh and saying hopefully loud of enough for him to hear "Farewell, my Lord."

* * *

Katara's memory was foggy on how exactly she made up her mind to fly to the Fire Nation, actually her original goal was to head to Ba Sing Se and perhaps stay with Toph but she then remembered that she and Aang left a day earlier then Toph did, along with a flying bison as there transport.

She simply remembered while sitting atop Appa's head in a blind rage muttering to herself and angerly daydreaming about things involving Aang versus a saber tooth moose lion, and a bloody one sided battle.  
Katara was scarcely paying attention to how and where she was steering Appa, she simply had him pointed westwards.

When the sun began to peak its face from under the dark shroud of night tinting the sky a pale, bruised, blue-grey color Katara's eyes beheld the sight of the Fire Nation.  
The craggy surface of the long dead volcano, lush tropical forestry surrounding it, and what appeared to be the long stretch of beach, though she new that it was broken up by property.

Once she and Appa began to close into the capital the sun had almost claimed the entire sky but was paused, lingering with the moon only for a moment as if to wish it a loving goodbye.

The city inside the volcano was vast and beautiful, the construction of the homes were artistic and clearly aimed to please the eye.  
For a country based around fire there were many gardens and patches of green scattered around the city, with one large simmering lake towards the outskirts.  
The palace in which Zuko lived was out of reach from the main parts of the city, placed menacingly yet elegantly above it as if to keep and ever watchful eye on the people below.

Katara watched the scenery roll beneath her, reminiscent of the first time she had laid eyes on it during the failed battle of the eclipse all those years ago.  
She had always a slight attachment to the capital, there was something extremely safe about it being located in the center of a deep crater, as if it the former volcano was embracing its people, shielding it from the harms of the world.

Katara had found herself standing next to Appa in the vast open annex, where on the day of the comet she had witnessed Azula and Zuko's almost fatal angi kai, she shivered briefly at the memory tugging in the corner of her brain it was a awful day yet at the same a wonderful one.  
It was the day the war ended and the day Zuko and her friendship was sealed and binded to last eternally.

General Iroh was looking out of one of the balconies when he spotted the large white bison, and the blue clad girl at its side.  
He smiled curiously, as he walked in a quick pace to greet the waterbender and the avatar, which he later learned was not there.

"Lady Katara what a surprise! What are you doing here so soon?" General Iroh asked Katara, bowing respectfully at her in greeting.  
"Hello General Iroh, it's nice to see you." Katara said her voice raw and broken like she had been crying, though she hadn't been.

The old man smiled down at her but there was confusion clearly written on his wrinkling face. "Where's the Avatar?" he asked looking around for the young bald monk.

Katara stared at her feet, the previous night finally sinking into her setting into full effect. She opened her mouth to answer him but she could only draw in air with a slight gasping sound, her eyes began to prick at the corners threatening tears, but she wasn't about to cry, she was the one who dumped him after all.

Katara lifted her gaze to meet Iroh's and he seemed to automatically know the answer to his question: The Avatar wasn't there, nor was he coming.

Iroh let the girl compose herself before asking carefully, "Would you like to see my nephew?"

Katara looked up at the General, the sadness pushed back down into her, sitting inside her like a jack-n-box, ready to spring free when so released.  
"Yes." was all she answered.

Iroh led Katara through the palace, and into the courtyard with the turtleduck pond Zuko would so fondly speak of.  
There he sat tossing chunks of bread at the animals, a slight frown graced his mouth, was clearly lost in thought.

"Zuko, you have a visitor." Iroh said, as Katara hide like a shy child behind the older man's back.  
"Who?" Zuko asked turning his head to meet his Uncle, his gold eyes scanning the for whomever there was to visit him.

Katara pulled herself from behind Zuko's Uncle, and offered a smile and a weak wave.  
"Katara?" he asked her standing, and walking a slow hesitant walk towards the waterbender.

He seemed tired, there were pale grey circles under his eyes, and a somewhat ruffled appearance to him.  
"Zuko." Katara said offering him a half smile, but he just looked down at her with a slightly confused look on his face.

"I'll leave you two to talk." General Iroh chuckled as if he knew something they did not.

The waterbender and firebender stood in a moment of silence observing the obvious dishevel of each other, neither of them knew exactly what to say.  
"Where's Aang? How'd you even get here?" Zuko asked Katara abruptly, his voice more harsh then he had obviously intended it to be.

Katara flinched at her former boyfriends name, "He's at the western air temple, I took Appa." Katara explained simply, lowering herself on a marble bench in the courtyard.  
"Why?" Zuko asked sitting on the grass leaning his back on the bench, his head and shoulders a foot away from Katara's knees.  
Katara sighed, she didn't quite feel like vocally saying she had left Aang and practically stole his bison but what other explanation could she supply other then the truth?  
"Katara?" Zuko asked furrowing his brow, turning to face her directly, eyeing her curiously, noticing the slight withdrawn sadness lurking in the shadows of her face.

Katara decided she might as well tell him, they were friends after all.  
"Uhhm, well, you see..." she started awkwardly dragging out the syllables of her words "Well, Aang and I kind of broke up ---" she paused, breathing again letting the words flow from her like she was finally confessing a long pent up secret "We broke up, I was tired of traveling all the time and being a nomad because I'm not a nomad, ya know? and he wanted to go to Arnydune Island but I refused and he never will sleep in the same area as me, we hardly ever kissed or anything, the relationship never changed, it was like I was still tending to him, like a -- like a mom. So we fought and I was like 'Aang this is over', took Appa and just wound up here in the Fire Nation." Katara finished, she practically didn't breath while reciting all that she did, she hoped to herself that whatever she had just ranted came out clearly.

By releasing all the neglected facts of that prior night seemed to lift the heaviness she had been feeling on her chest, Katara looked down hopefully at Zuko to read his reaction to her babbling, he simply looked at her with a cocked brow.

Katara swallowed hard as Zuko had yet to make any response to the ordeal.  
"I'm sorry." he told her sympathy clear in his expression, the same look he gave her in the caverns of Ba Sing Se, the softness in his sharp eyes made her stomach tighten a little. "Well, it was going to happen sooner or later I guess, I could feel us growing apart for quite some time." Katara said shrugging.

"Mai broke up with me too..." he trailed quietly, his eyes moved to the blades of grass, plucking one up and folding it in half and back again.

"Oh no, I'm sorry Zuko." Katara said lowering herself to the grass next to him "It seems the spirits are out to get us huh?" she added with humor.

They sat in a comfortable silence fiddling with blades of grass, their shoulders pressed lightly against the others.

"Katara?" Zuko asked her slowly, "Are you going to take Appa back to Aang or just stay here and send him back?" he asked with a quizzical look on his face after some time of silence.

Katara shrugged, "I think I'll just stay this one night and go from there, I expect you to have a guest room for me or am I going to have to sleep out here with your pets?" she asked humorously waving a hand at the pond ahead of them.  
Zuko smiled slightly, "I'm sure I can arrange you a room."

Katara now stood in a large room, it was a generally dark room with maroon walls and furnishings. The bed was a huge sleigh bed with ruby colored bedding.  
"Why is everything around here so dark?" she muttered to herself dropping her pack on the wide dresser in the room.

She wandered to the side of the bed and flopped backwards onto it, the springs in the mattress bounced her back up slightly but soon she sank back into it,  
though it looked like it'd be a firm mattress it was surprisingly soft and the smooth texture of the bed spread felt nice on her skin.

There was a soft knock on the door, "It's open!" Katara sang out refusing to move an inch from the cushy bed. The door opened smoothly, Katara raised her head ever so slightly to see who her visitor was.

Zuko leaned lazily on the frame of the door, casting a bemused look in her direction. "I take it you like the room?" he stated, smiling slightly at her.

"Other then the dark colors, everything is quite lovely." Katara answered smiling broadly at him, raising herself to a sitting position on the bed.

She watched as Zuko hesitantly walked into the room a few inches and clearing his throat as if he were to make a speech, "Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes, I normally just eat outside alone but since you're here we could eat in the dining room if you want, or you can eat in here --- whichever you would prefer." he asked, clearly uncomfrontable, shifting his weight from leg to the other.

Katara giggled, she had always found his socially awkwardness somehow charming, it was a trait just seemed so unlike him, but then at the same time completely like him.

"The dining room works fine, plus I think you ought to give me a tour of your grand palace." She teased him.

"Of course, I'll have the servants set the table then." Zuko said before turning on his heel to leave, but Katara stopped him "Is your Uncle going to be joining us?" she inquired suddenly sounding diplomatic.  
Zuko simply nodded in reply.

The dining room in the palace should of more been described as a dining hall. It was a extremely elegant room, there was a long polished table running through the center of the room with a large carefully arranged vase full of colorful flowers sitting in the middle of it, at the very end of the table sat three place settings, the plates were  
made of ornate china and crystal glasses sat in front of them, on both opposing walls hung tapestries bearing the Fire Nation's emblem and from the high cathedral ceiling hung an fancy chandelier.

Katara stood at the arched entrance of the room with her mouth slightly a gap at the room before her, "Woa." she muttered to herself staring up at the glass chandelier.

She heard chuckling beside her, Katara whipped her head around to face General Iroh, "It is rather fancy isn't it?" he asked her, his words tinted with laughter.

"It is, but I think the tapestries are a bit much." Katara said one hand on her hip and other pointing out the wall hangings to the General.

"I haven't redecorated yet." a familiar raspy voice said from behind her, causing her to noticeably jump. "Jeez Zuko, why do you have to be so stealthy?" Katara exclaimed clutching at her heart.

Her reaction had caused Iroh to laugh a deep laugh, "I must agree with the young lady nephew, you far to quiet when you walk but enough of your light footedness, let's eat!" Iroh said eyeing the food servants had brought out and put on the table.

Katara sat across from Zuko and Iroh patiently as the servants piled a good amount of stir-fry onto her plate, she eyed it almost as greedily as Iroh was.  
"Tuck in!" Iroh exclaimed, his chopsticks at the ready.

Katara giggled at the older man as he shovelled the food into his mouth, but she soon followed suit. "This is delicious!" she exclaimed chewing as ladylike as she could on the array of spicy and savory flavors of the stir-fry. Reaching for the glass full of red drink in front of her, Katara took a small tentative sip, the slightly bitter fruity flavor burst onto her tongue pleasantly.  
"Mmm what is this?" she asked looking at Zuko and then to the juice.  
"Pomegranate juice." Zuko answered, delicately putting a red pepper into his mouth and chewing.

"And to think Lady Katara, this is only the third best meal the Fire Nation has to offer!" Iroh exclaimed happily with a swift wink.  
"Well I love it!" Katara said beaming at Iroh, "and I tried a lot of different foods while traveling with Sokka, Toph and Aang over those years."

"Really? What would you say was your least favorite meal?" Iroh asked curiously, leaning slightly over the table his amber eyes alight with a youthfulness that Katara so hoped she would have when she reached his age.

Katara tapped her chin with the end up her chopstick pondering for a moment, "Unfried dough." she answered thoughtfully, creasing her brow just at the memory of the plain taste of the Aang shaped gooey pieces of dough.

Katara and Iroh chatted animatedly through out the entire meal, almost unaware of Zuko's brooding presence.  
"Nephew you haven't said a thing all night!" Iroh chided, looking at Zuko who was staring into his bowl of ash banana sherbert.  
"I don't really have much to say." Zuko answered shrugging looking from his Uncle's curious face to Katara's slightly worried one. She tried to think of any possible way to make him smile or at least seem less despondent, when she remembered her teasing about wanting a tour of his palace, "Zuko, I still expect that tour, you can show me around after this dessert." Katara told Zuko jabbing her spoon in his direction.

* * *

Zuko smiled at the waterbender across from him, "How on earth is she chipper when she just broke up with Aang?" he thought to himself.  
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." he answered her demand, spooning a mouthful of the frozen dessert into his mouth.

As soon as they were all done with the ash banana sherbet, his Uncle bade them a goodnight but not before he shot Zuko a wink, with obvious suggestions behind it. Zuko inwardly groaned but he couldn't keep from slapping his hand to his forehead.

"The palace is a rather large place to tackle in one night." he told Katara as they strode through the hallway leading out of the dining room.

"It's alright, just show me the most important rooms like the bedrooms, your office, where you simply relax, all those kind of places." Katara offered coolly slipping into pace with him.

"I'll show you my office, its just down this hall." He said pointing down a hall to there immediate right, the hall was long and had no doors expect one at the very end.

"I hope you're aware of how creepy this is?" Katara said looking at the high walls and then down to the door.

Zuko laughed a little, "I'm aware, the entire place is all set up how Ozai had it, I haven't really had a chance to redesign or redecorate anything." he explained, reaching for the bronze doorknob and swinging open the door.

The room before them was small and square but with high ceilings just like almost every room in the palace. there was a tall window on the far wall and in front of it sat a dark ornate wooden desk stacked high with scrolls, ink wells and papers behind it sat a plush looking chair with a high back and wide curved armrests.  
All the surrounding walls were covered with high bookshelves full of old leather bound books, and stacks of scrolls.  
The floors were a light colored wood, and in the center of the floor somehow the character for fire was craved into the grain of the wood.  
At the other end of the room there was a small cluster of leather sofas and chairs that appeared untouched.

"This is kind of nice, minus all that paperwork." Katara said nodding to his desk then  
walking over to the closest bookshelf and running her small hands over the spines of books and handles of the scrolls.

"My mother used to sit in that chair." Zuko said walking over the to the sitting area, he motioned to a brown leather chair with a tall back, directly next to it was a cushioned leather foot stool. "And I used to sit there." he added pointing to the slightly dusty foot stool.

"Where'd Azula sit?" Katara asked quietly, now standing close by Zuko, close enough that whenever they shifted there arms in the slightest he could feel her tan skin lightly brush against his own pale flesh, sending goose flesh down his arms.

Zuko lead her to his desk, pushing aside some scrolls and scraps of paper on the upper right side of the desk, he pushed his index finger directly onto the wood.  
"Right here, on his right hand side." Zuko answered bitterly.  
He needed not to say who 'he' was, as Katara fully grasped that Zuko meant Ozai.

Zuko stood glaring at the spot where his younger sister would sit, looking at their father like he was a god, reading his papers and absorbing everything she could, so she would grow up to be just like him. Just the thought of wanting to be like Ozai and that he himself actually wanted to impress the man made bile build up in the back of Zuko's throat as his mind slowly drifted onto the former Fire Lord.

He felt cool fingers clutch his forearm breaking him from the dark corners of his mind,  
"Come on Zuko." Katara said gently pulling him away from the desk, she had obviously realized that the room was causing him to feel hostile and had caused memories of Ozai to surface. She obviously had some clue to how he operated, she obviously could do something that only one other person he knew could, Katara could understand.

Zuko let her grab his wrist and lead him away from the office and outside to the turtleduck pond, the only place in the entire palace he was comfortable enough to call his own.

* * *

A/N: This is my longest update as of yet! makes me pretty damn excited!  
10 long pages! Quite a accomplishment I must say, so I really really hope you like this new chapter.

FYI:  
Regarding the fountain in the garden at the mental hospital;  
it's based off a painting by Mark Ryden, its called "Allegory of the elements"  
if you wanna look up his work its pretty fascinating.

also regarding the song the chapters named after, for some reason when I hear it, it just reminds me of Zuko and Azula for some reason.  
it's a beautiful piece, but also kind of sad like there relationship.  
and I added Tstorms up there because well its been thunderstorming for the past week and frankly, I love thunderstorms (:

Again like other previous updates I felt a need to go into detail about the 'before events', I feel like it makes the story stronger or somethin'.

ANND the whole first section of this update takes place when Aang and Katara and flying around and fighting. Just in case you didnt catch that.  
annnd as always please bear with my awful spelling/grammar skillz

(P.S: In Katara's hostile daydream, the saber toothed moose lion wins :D lmao)  
(P.P.S: MAIKO IS FINALLY OVAH! YAYYAY!)

Until next time.

* * *

_Fueled by: Variazione di un Tango - Dustin O'Halloran _


	8. Chap 8

Run.

* * *

Chap 8: The difference between medicine and poison is in the dose

The Dragon of the West stood on a balcony over looking the vast garden that spread through the yard of the palace, the young water tribe girl was speaking softly to the large white bison, a sad yet pleased smile was etched on her face as she hugged the animals large head goodbye.  
Iroh watched the girl watch the beast slowly disappear into the sky as it flew back to his master.

He had learned that morning at their usual breakfast that after a week of staying in the fire nation his ever present question had been answered, she would be sending the bison back to his owner and would be staying as long as she had felt necessary.

The first few days of her stay at the palace she had mainly spent in his company, Iroh would give her prolonged tours of the captial city taking her into all sorts of shops and having her try a myriad of teas but after the first three days of that she had grown tired of shopping with him and had asked where Zuko was.

Since then she had spent her time lounging against one of the large pillars of where his nephew sat tending to political and military personal, she would keep out of sight from the visitors but still in his nephews perphlial views.

When the sun was waning Iroh would sit in the gardens sipping on herbal teas and would watch the two young people practice their bending. It was a always smooth, peaceful practice with no bursts of frustration from either side, they moved in almost complete sync, and always as if planned right before they ended their dance like duel they would spin in a unison crashing their elements together creating a large plume of steam, slight smiles dancing on the corners of there mouths as the steam would slowly drift away.

He would watch the two benders as they would walk the gardens, lost in hushed tones. They would talk till the sky was black with night and the desire of sleep would finally claim them.

Iroh watched it all with a small smile on his face, and hopeful thoughts budding in his mind.  
Thoughts that he knew both of the young benders would be aghast to hear, but Iroh couldn't help but too hope for his nephew and the water bender.  
"Grand babies." he chuckled quietly to himself at the mere thought.

Katara was walking through the bed chamber corridors of the palace late at night, she couldn't sleep so she had went to the kitchen to drink some warm cow-hippo milk in hopes to make her drowsy. The palace was insanely dark late at night so she walked slowly and cautiously relying on the moon light spilling from the large windows lining the hall.

"Stupid fire benders and they're built in night lights." she muttered argravarted, as she walked blindly with her arms outstretched stupidly, trying to feel her way down the hall.  
She had memorized her rooms location by counting corners and doorknobs so she was placing one hand flat on the wall and the other straight out in front of her in case she tripped or ran into a sculpture or some other stupid antique.

Katara was now in the royals bed chamber hall, hers was the next hall to the left and the second door, but her quest was interrupted by faint shouting and groaning coming from one of the rooms. Katara's heart jumped a little in fear but it soon regained a steady rhythm.

"Hello?" she asked tentatively to the darkness knowing that the person was clearly in their room but she couldn't help herself but to ask anyways.  
She heard a yell again and soon recognized the voice to belong to Zuko, knowing where his room was located Katara ran clumsily to the door at the end of the hall.

"Zuko?" she called in almost a shout as she opened his door quickly, his room like everywhere else in the palace was pitch black but with a stream of white moon light coming into the room and settling on the middle of the floor, she could make out his writhing figured on the large bed.

"Zuko," she said now in more of a commanded tone "Zuko, wake up!"  
Katara stumbled over to his bed, her eyes adjusting slightly to the dim moon light, she reached out to shake his shoulder but the heat coming off his body was too intense.

"ZUKO!" she yelled now, as his face contorted, he was mouthing words soundlessly, whether he was being tourtured or just overwhelmed with grief Katara could not tell but seeing him in pain that wasn't even technically real bothered her, so she took grasp of his scalding shoulder and shook him awake.

Zuko sprung up from his bed, sweat coating his pale chest and his silk gold sheets sticking to his back slightly, his eyes moved widely in their sockets trying to find an anchor, horror and confusion etched his face, he panted heavily as his eyes finally fell onto her.

Katara drew water from the air and healed the slight rawness on her palm that his escalated body heat had caused, "Are you alright?" she finally asked him slightly worried studying his confused face. He opened his mouth to answer but no words came from his throat as he just stared at her.

"Zuko?" Katara asked softly now sitting on the edge of the bed, a hand resting on his shoulder, his eyes seemed to be glazed over with some kind of emotion she could not place.  
"Just had a nightmare, that's all." he finally said regaining full composure.  
Katara furrowed her brow, "About what? You were flailing around and you were scalding hot." she asked him worry in her voice.

"The same one I've been having for months, just worse," Zuko answered with a slight shiver,  
"One about my mother, my sister, Mai, you, Ozai, Aang, Sokka and the original benders," he continued "It was just -- much more real this time..." he trailed his voice soft but full of worry.

"But it was just a dream Zuko, it wasn't real." Katara chided softly, she almost wanted to hug him or put her arm around him like she did with Aang when he had bad dreams, but quickly shoved the idea away as it seemed to motherly and awkward since this was Zuko and not Aang.

"I don't know Katara," Zuko sighed massaging his forehead tiredly, flopping backwards onto his back "but I think I need to find my mother." he added randomly.

"What?" Katara asked slightly taken off guard, it seemed very off topic but then again she didn't know the details of his dream.

"Every dream seems to be about her." he said sitting back up again, moving himself to sit next to her on the edge of the bed.

"I think I could be more helpful if I knew the dream Zuko." Katara teased a little trying to lighten the mood.

"When it comes to her part in the dream she's always calling for me and right when she's in reach she gets sucked into the sand." Zuko explained to her studying his fingers as if he was embarrassed about something.

"Sand?" she asked studying his slouching profile. "Yea, we're in a dessert." Zuko answered, shifting his eyes to meet hers, the sharpness in them made her stomach jolt a little like the way his stare always made her react, from since the moment they had meet.

Katara watched him study for a moment before she realized there exact location, his bed chamber.  
A slight blush started to work its way on to her cheeks, hoping to the spirits he would not noticed and begin to get at what she was blushing at she tried to excuse herself but she couldn't bring up the words, they kept getting caught in her now dry throat, but thankfully Zuko came unknowingly to her aid.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked now realizing the late time and her in his room.  
"Well, yes but I couldn't sleep so I went to the kitchen to drink some warm milk and when I was heading back to my room I heard you yelling" Katara explained slightly flustered.  
A slight smile graced Zuko's face, at what he could be possibly smiling at she hadn't a clue.  
"Well --- you can leave now." he said moving back to the center of his bed, leaning against the head board, watching her as if to wait for her to leave.

Katara just stared at him, slightly confused, over what she didn't even know, she shook her head to attempt clearing the fog in her sleepy brain. "Right.." she said rising slowly from the edge of his bed and walking across the room to the door. "Good night Zuko." she said as she turned the door knob to open it, "Good night Katara." Zuko replied as she shut the door behind her and headed out into the dark hallway.

"Zuko, its been almost three days since first nightmare I woke you from don't you think you should talk to your Uncle?"  
Katara and Zuko were walking through the gardens as they always did, after his work.  
"I've told you a hundred times already, he knows about them and he has no idea what they could be about." Zuko told her anger starting to edge into his voice.

"Ask again then." Katara teased, delicately hopping onto a low stone wall that bordered the sole rock garden in the palace, the wall raised a few good inches above the ground so it raised her height just enough where she was a good foot taller then Zuko.

A playful smile graced her face as she looked down at the appearance of the annoyed Fire Lord, he didn't meet her eyes but looked at his feet.  
"Ahh relax Zuko, works over with and I'm only teasing." Katara said placing her arms around his neck.

Her contact made him look up at her, his gold eyes were tired from lack of proper sleep, a meek smile played at the corners of his mouth, Zuko sighed deeply, "If only Ozai would reveal her location, I've asked him countless times and he only mocks me."

Katara frowned her lip twitching slightly she knew who 'her' was, Zuko had been determined to believe the dreams were some sign that Ursa was still alive and out in the world somewhere waiting for him. Even though the notion seemed unlikely, Katara couldn't help but to hope a little bit that he was right, knowing that she herself would think the same if she were in his position.  
She sighed deeply dropping down from the wall, her arms still around his neck, pulling him into a hug.  
"We'll figure something out." she muttered into his chest.

* * *

Zuko was drifting off into sleep when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Zuko?" he heard a familiar voice ask him in the darkness, "Katara?" he asked confused sitting up lighting a small flame in the palm of his hand.  
Zuko could see Katara standing before him clad in strange garb, long red robes slung loose on her shoulders, she wore a veiled rice hat and there was red paint on her face and bare shoulders, and she was holding something blue out to him. Zuko started, "Katara wha--?"  
She cut him off, "I think its time for the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit to rise again."

"Katara what are we doing?" Zuko asked.  
She had snuck into his room dressed as some spirit and handed him his old mask of the Blue Spirit, and now they were sneaking through the capital city under the full moon dressed in disguise, Zuko had never been so bewildered in his life.

She didn't answer him so he took hold of her shoulder, "Katara what's going on here, and why are you dressed like that? and why did you have me dress like this?" he asked not trying to hide the confusion and surprise in his voice.

Katara heaved a sigh, "We're going to get answers from Ozai, and I figured dressing like this would be more intimidating then plain black clothes." she answered dryly.

Zuko stared at her like she was crazy, "You don't wear black clothes --- wait, what in spirits names is going on?!" he asked in confusion but then demanded.  
"I told you." Katara replied walking off ahead of him, mist growing at her feet.  
Zuko shook his head in confusion, "The girls gone mad." he thought to himself following in her wake.

The two disguised benders now stood in front of the tall prison carved into the volcano wall.  
"How am I supposed to get in? The Blue Spirit is a wanted criminal still." Zuko whispered to her, with wonders of how she even knew he was the Blue Spirit tugging at the corners of his mind, but he figured he'd ask her that after her spell of insanity had ended.

"Leave that to me." Katara answered in a cold voice, she pulled her arms in circular motions, pulling a large cloud of mist to surround them both.  
Zuko followed Katara into the prison they got in almost perfectly, very few guards were brave enough to face her, and when they did she simply swiped them away with a wave of mist and water.

"Which cell is he in?" Katara asked Zuko as they snuck of the spiral stairwell, her voice was unusually bitter and laced with poison.  
Zuko pointed upwards, "Highest room." he manged to choke out, he was beginning to fear this new crazed version of the water bender.

It took them mere minutes to reach the former Fire Lord and never Phoenix King's keep.  
Katara flung open the door, sending waves of mist and fog into the cell room, Zuko could hear Ozai curse in confusion, "What in Angi's name is this?!" he demanded angrily.

Zuko followed Katara as she slide through the mist the bars of Ozai's cell, they could see him but he could not see them.  
"Who's there! I command you to tell me!" Ozai barked, his voice cracking only slightly.  
"Ozai, you have information that we need." Katara said in a eerily venomous voice that Zuko would of never of believed was hers if he hadn't seen her say it.

She slowly let the fog wane so the former Fire Lord could see his guests, "Who are you?" he asked them curiously taking in the sight of Katara in her spirit disguise, hardly even noticing Zuko at all, which he couldn't help but to think in dark humor was so typical.

"I am the painted lady, and you hold information I need," Katara asked, "Where is Lady Ursa?"

Ozai laughed coldly, "Has my son sent a spirit after me now?" his voice tinted with disgust and sick humor.

"Tell me where she is." Katara commanded coldly,  
Zuko had now worked his way up to her side, he looked down at his father's lanky figure on the dirty cell floor.  
"Tell her." he hissed at his father, trying his best to make his voice sound different.

Ozai simply laughed more, "Or what oh mighty spirits?" he taunted.

Zuko watched Katara as she menancingly cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, "Or this." she hissed.

Katara stretched her arm out, her hand and fingers hanging limp, but then she snapped her wrist, fingers stretched out towards Ozai, his body was flung hard against the cell's wall causing dust to fall from the ceiling, both Zuko and Ozai's eyes widened in shock.

"What?" Ozai chocked out trying to move from the wall, but with Katara's hand pointed at him he could not budge.

"Where is Lady Ursa?" she hissed again, Zuko stared at Katara with both fear and surprise, he hadn't a idea what she was doing or how she was doing it but the whole scene reminded him of the southern raiders captain she made bow at their feet years ago.

Which was what now she was making Ozai do, "Where is she?" Katara barked anger starting to flood into her voice, but Ozai just cackled still.  
"Fine then." she said icily.

Katara slowly began to rise her arm and along with it Ozai, her fingers began to close slowly and with that motion Ozai began to gag for air.  
She was choking him.

"Katara.." Zuko whispered warily, slightly alarmed by the situation, his eyes flickering from his father to the girl next to him, she did not respond to him, "Katara its okay, you don't have to do this." he said not trying to hide his fear.

"Tell us or I squeeze harder." Katara said coldly, ignoring Zuko'sss plee.

Ozai choked for air, his eyes moving back and forth from her to Zuko, it was the first time Zuko had ever seen his father scared, "Okay, okay I'll tell you, just let me down." Ozai managed to say through his gagging.

Katara let the man drop to the ground, he panting heavily clutching at his throat.  
"I banished her years ago she never told me where she planned on going, though she let hint that she'd informed some pathetic club my brother belonged to," Ozai said, panic clear in his tone, "my bet is she's hiding deep in the earth kingdom far away here, the cowardice woman."

"DON'T CALL HER A COWARD!" Zuko couldn't keep quiet anymore, grasping onto the bars to his father's cage his eyes alight with pure rage, but mist began to pick up around them again.

Zuko had completely forgotten about Katara's presence, he looked over to her in alarm as they made there way down the winding stone stairs and out of the jail. "Katara, are you alright?" he asked carefully, stooping slightly attempting to see her hidden face behind the veiled rice hat, but all he could see was tears running down her cheeks and pooling at her chin.

Zuko had lead Katara back to her room about an hour ago, two hours past her interrogation of his father. Various questions were wandering in his mind but the biggest one was for her well being. When he had left her at the door of her room she seemed completely numb to her surroundings, her eyes appeared dead to the world, and all she had managed to say was a weak "Good night"

Zuko couldn't take it anymore, he walked a fast pace down the hall and knocked on her bed chambers door, it opened slightly at the weight of his fist.

"Katara?" he asked quietly peering into the room, he could hear running water from the washroom so he walked cautiously across the room to knock on that door, but he found it open.

Inside the magnificent bathroom Katara sat in the open shower still dressed in her Painted Lady robes on the floor of the shower letting the water pour onto her head, her knees were drawn up to her chest, her arms were wrapped around her legs tightly, and her face was stricken with a array emotions.

What over took Zuko, he did not know, but without even removing his boots he opened the glass door of the shower and sat next to Katara under the stream of warm water.  
She inched up to him and clutched his arm, not saying a word he wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, as she pulled her face to his chest he placed his hand on the side of her head, holding her there as she cried.

* * *

A/N: Had to bring back the painted lady and the blue spirit and I also had to bring in some bloodbending.

I wanted a little bit of this update in Iroh's POV, I'm not sure why but I felt like he needed a little time in the spotlight, I hope I did it well.

It was pretty difficult to get this update right as I've had the most insane case of writers block recently, so bad I couldn't even tweet! (which yes is extremely pathetic --- that I even have a twitter, I mean.) So, I'm sorry this update is so over due, I've just been really preoccupied trying to find a job (no luck) and some personal stuffff.

Also, about the song this chapter is named for, its seems very fitting to me for Katara and her bloodbending. (Listen to it, you'll get why -- it also gives slight inspiration to my next chapter so it contains foreshadowing spoilers heheh).

Review and I'll love you forever and as always forgive my poor spelling/grammar skills.

Until next time.

* * *

_Fueled by: The difference between medicine and poison is in the dose - Circa Survive_


	9. Chap 9

Run

* * *

Chap 9: Decode

Katara pressed her forehead into Zuko's warm chest, her body felt heavy and mangled. A thousand different feelings of shame, anger, self loathing, hurt, disappointment and a hunger for more shot through her.  
The water from the shower had turned cold, but she couldn't move, her lungs seemed to turn solid and heavy, and her legs had turned limp and as brittle as a old woman's, but the warmth off Zuko's solid chest and his hand rested protectively on her hair seemed to be enough to keep her breathing.  
Katara kept her eyes shut tight, attempting to block out the world.

Katara kept her eyes glued shut as she felt Zuko slowly lift her tense figure from the shower floor, and using his inner flame to evaporate the water from there bodies.  
She felt him carry her into her room, and gently placing her on the plush bed.  
"Katara?" Zuko asked her unsure.

Katara slowly opened her eyes, they were blurred by tears and her lashes stuck together. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim light.  
She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't, she just pressed her face into the silk pillows.

"I'm sorry." Zuko finally said after a moment of prolonged silence.  
Katara raised her head and meet his golden eyes, they were full of apologies.  
"For what?" she crocked.  
"For making you do that." he answered, studying his hands awkwardly.

"Zuko, you didn't make me do anything," Katara said softly, she sat up in bed and without thinking grabbed his hands in hers and held them tightly, as if to assure him in some way that this was all on her. "I did it for you, because I knew that if it were my mother I would do anything, anything to see her again."

Zuko walked down the corridors of his palace back to his room, he had just left Katara. His mind was swirling with questions regarding there meeting with his father.  
What club was he talking about?  
How did Katara even do that to him?  
How did she know he was the Blue Spirit?  
Why was she even dressed as a spirit?  
And how would he been his search looking for his mother?

It was too much for Zuko to even begin to ponder upon, and in the corners of his mind the not so distant memory of him holding a crying Katara kept taking the main the circle of his thoughts, causing his heart strings to pull.

Zuko exhaled loudly, rubbing his eyes, sitting himself in front of his mediation candles. Shutting his eyes and trying to grapple control of the small flickering flames on the wicks of the white candles.  
He breathed in and out, in and out, trying find balance so he could finally sleep.

* * *

It was the morning after the ordeal with bloodbending and the torture of Oazi.  
Katara walked into the dining hall to have her usual breakfast with General Iroh in a sort of haze, her eyes were downcast and she had braided her hair taunt to her scalp. She hadn't braided her hair in years.

"Miss Katara, you look lovely." Iroh beamed at her from his seat at the long polished table.  
Katara briefly lifted her eyes to meet the older mans and send him a fleeting smile of gratitude.

She sat down in her seat, and stared at the breakfast food before her, she had no desire to lift a fork or spoon.

"Tuck in!" Iroh exclaimed cheerily, observing her somber form from the corner of his eye.

She sat staring at the food for a moment, her mind trailing through the memories of the night before.  
Her thoughts kept jumping from the feeling of Zuko's body protecting her in the cold shower and to the feeling of controlling every vein, tendon and nerve in his father's body.  
Katara shivered at the mere thought that if she just squeezed a bit harder she could of ended the man's life.

"Katara?" she heard the old general asking her.  
"Mm yes?" She answered breaking her train of thoughts.  
"Are you alright?" Iroh asked her, tilting his head to get a better view of her face.  
"Oh, uhhm, sure." Katara stuttered in reply frowning, reaching over the table to grab some toast.

"You're lying." Iroh stated simply, handing her a stick of butter.  
"You sound like Toph." she replied half in jest and half in disapproval.  
The former general laughed deeply.  
"True, but what is bothering you?"  
Katara sighed loudly, and brought her fingers up to her mouth and cupped them there, as if to hold back the words she was about to say.  
Iroh looked at her expectantly.

"Last night Zuko and I went to go visit Oazi.." she had stopped, biting her lip as if it were to pain her to admit the crimes they had committed.

"Go on." Iroh prompted patiently, pouring them tea.

"Well I used bloodbending to get answers out of him, to find the location of Ursa, and I promised myself years ago I would never use bloodbending again,"  
Katara explained, taking her cup of tea and blowing on it delicately.  
"It's wrong, bending someones insides like that, and I feel guilty now. Even though Oazi is a terrible man, and we got some hint as to Ursa's location." She finished, taking a long sip of the tea.

"Then why'd you use it?" Iroh simply asked her, "If it's so against your ethic's"

"Because if it was my mother, I know he'd do the same." Katara answered, lifting her eyes to meet the old man's.

Iroh smiled at her, "So what did you find out?" he asked cheerily trying to lift the heaviness of the conversation.

"All he said was that she hinted that she told some club you belonged too." Katara answered shurging.

Iroh coughed and chocked on his tea, "A club, eh?"

Katara nodded in reply, "Any ideas?" she asked.

Iroh frowned and put down his cup, "None." he said briskly standing up and leaving the room, leaving a confused Katara in his wake.

Katara wandered aimlessly through the great halls of the palace looking for a library in hopes to find some answers in it, but thus far she had found nothing of any kind of library, she had found several rooms for storage and a few very dusty bedrooms.

She eventually gave up and settled with the library in the Fire Lord's study.  
Katara sat in the tall chair that had once belonged to Zuko's mother, she was studying a scroll about secret societies and clubs in the Fire Nation.

"What are you doing?" asked a curious voice, Katara looked up to see Zuko leaning against the door frame of the room.  
"Reading." Katara answered, lifting the scroll from her lap to show him.  
"What could you be possibly reading in here? It's all about how the Fire Nation is the best and children stories." Zuko said, walking over to her and running a pale hand across the handles of the scrolls.

"Yes well I found this one about clubs, and societies in the Fire Nation, I thought maybe it could give me some idea as to what your father was talking about last night." Katara explained returning her eyes to the characters on the old paper.

Zuko heaved a heavy sigh, and Katara could feel his eyes resting heavily on her.  
"It's fine Zuko." Katara said waving a hand and not meeting his stare. It was as if she already knew what he was thinking about, thinking about her moment of severe weakness the night before.

"Well there's also something else." Zuko said in a small voice, moving his hand to the scroll in her lap and slowing pulling it out of her fingers.  
"Zuko, I need that!" Katara said reaching out a hand for the scroll.  
"I think I already know what club Oazi was talking about." he explained to her.  
"What?" Katara asked flabbergasted, "What club?" a hint of excitement leaking into her voice.  
Zuko sighed heavily again, "Order of the White Lotus."

Katara frowned, "They weren't mentioned on the scroll." she said pointing to the scroll Zuko was now rolling up.

"Yes well, that's because they're a secret society." Zuko explained filing the scroll back in its rightful place on the self.

"OH!" realization hit Katara, "That's right!" she said pointing a finger at Zuko who was softly smiling.

Katara remembered back on the day before the comet when she and the rest of Team Avatar had come face to face with the society's leading members at the rumble at the former walls of Ba Sing Se, when they had used a bounty hunter to track down Zuko's uncle, who was a grandmaster of the said society.

"Yes, and my Uncle is grandmaster so if my mother really did tell The White Lotus, he would know." Zuko said seriously, his mouth drawn tightly and his hands fisted.

"Then why don't we ask him?" Katara asked Zuko shrugging her shoulders slightly, back during her first meeting with the society they seemed welcoming enough.

"I suppose we could," Zuko responded "but I have a feeling even if he does know, he's not going to part with the information so easily. Order of the White Lotus is strange about who they share there secrets with." Zuko said leading Katara out of the study and into the halls.

"Where do you think your Uncle even is? He left very hastily at breakfast this morning." Katara said walking in pace with Zuko, glancing up at him.

He simply shrugged, "Somewhere drinking tea or playing Pai Sho."

* * *

Iroh walked quietly through the streets of the capital city.  
He knocked thrice on a splintering wood door of a seedy old bar, the door swung open to burly man clad in baggy robes. Iroh bowed with his palms out.  
"You are welcome brother." the man said standing aside.

Though the outside was unattractive, the inside of the bar was rather lavish paintings of lotuses crowded the polished wood ceiling and the walls were plastered with tapestry's. The tables of the bar were all Pai Sho tables without pieces, as you were to bring your own.

Iroh pulled the hood of his robe over his face to disguise himself, the bar was not a place that grandmaster would typically go, but rather new members new to the cryptic art.

He scanned the fine room looking for a familiar face, he saw the man he was looking for sitting at a table in the far darker parts of the building sucking down a foamy chalice of liquor.

"Fancy seeing you here." the man said in a voice that sounded very much like it should belong to a frog.  
"And the same to you." Iroh said smiling, taking a seat across from the man at the table.

"So what does a grandmaster want with me?" the man asked Iroh sucking loudly at his drink.

"My nephew has questioned his father about his mother's whereabouts, meaning my brother has let slip that we know to some idea where she might be hiding." Iroh explained in a hushed voice.

"And what's this got to do with me?" the man asked coldly.

"You are the one she told, are you not? I need to know, my nephew or his friend will likely question me once they remember that I am a member of the Order of the White Lotus." Iroh said threw clenched teeth, he was growing impatient of the man before him.

The man grunted, "She did in fact hint to me where she was headed, but this was years ago she very well of changed locations by now." he said waving around his cup.

Iroh raised his eyebrows expectantly at the man.

"I shall tell you, but not in full. I am after all sworn to the Fire Ladies secercey, I promised I would never divulge her true location not even to her son."

"I understand." Iroh answered bowing his head, and opening his ears to the man's riddle.

* * *

"Where could Uncle possibly be?" Zuko thought to himself crankily.

He and Katara had split up, her to the capital and he to the palace to search for the tea loving old man.  
So far he had found no luck in locating him, he hoped that Katara had better luck then he did.

Zuko went to search the kitchen one more time thinking that perhaps his Uncle was getting tea or cake. The kitchen was where he seemed to spend most of his time anyway.

"Have you seen my Uncle at all today?" Zuko asked one of the palace chefs.  
"No Fire Lord, I haven't." the chef responded with wide eyes.

Zuko sighed in defeat and took up pacing the front of the palace awaiting Katara's return, which came faster then he expected.

"ZUKO!" Katara called, running at him quickly her braid trailing behind her in the breeze. "Did you find him?" she asked panting lightly when she reached him.

"No I didn't, and neither did you obviously." Zuko stated dryly.  
"No I didn't" Katara said between breaths.  
Zuko groaned loudly paced around quicker, "Where on earth could that crazy old man possibly be?!"

"I hope that's not me you're talking about." came a hearty voice from behind him, Zuko and Katara spun around to face Iroh emerging from the long walk up to the palaces front entrance where they now stood.

Zuko heard Katara giggle nervously next to him, "Actually, Uncle you're exactly who I'm talking about." Zuko said fiercely eyeing his Uncle who was approaching them.

"How are you doing Lady Katara?" Iroh asked when he had finally came up to the door of the palace, which the handle Zuko now grasped tightly.

"Better now, thank you." Zuko heard Katara answer his Uncle sweetly, but Zuko never took his eyes off his Uncle's face.

"There's something I think you need to explain to me Uncle." Zuko said harshly slowly pushing open the door and walking into the main room of the palace where he normal conducted his meetings. The fire that normally surrounded his pedestal was out and the room seemed eerie with just three people in it.

Iroh sighed heavily, "I knew one day I might have to divulge this information to you Zuko." his Uncle said tiredly, "Come, we'll discuss this in the gardens."

"No, Uncle we can discuss this here." Zuko snapped.  
He was mad at his Uncle for never telling him that the society he belonged to knew his mother's location all this time. After all the years he had been missing her and worrying she was dead.  
Even after the war when he had questioned his father on almost daily basis, not even then did he tell him.

Zuko could feel his body temperature rise with his temper.  
"Zuko," he heard Katara say quietly next to him "You're getting really hot."  
"Zuko?" he heard her say again, he let out a heavy sigh when he felt her cool fingers take his.

"Nephew to be clear, I personally did not know the location of your mother and to this moment I still do not know her true location," Iroh explained steadily "Ursa did in fact inform another member of the society, a man not as high in rankings as I, but still a deeply regarded man." Iroh explained.

"Then who is this man so I can ask him?" Zuko hissed.

"I went to him today and asked him the location of your mother, he would not tell me in full but he did share a riddle that might give you clues to her location" his Uncle went on explaining ignoring Zuko's question.

"What's the riddle?" Zuko heard Katara ask.

"It is on this parchment." his Uncle said handing Katara a yellowed piece of folded paper.

His Uncle turned to face him, "Zuko I am sorry."

Zuko frowned, feeling Katara's fingers tighten on his as if warning him not to be snide or cold.

"It's okay Uncle, just next time you know that society of yours hold useful information, please share." Zuko said with a slight grin.

His Uncle chuckled, "I'm afraid if I could even revel all the secrets we hold it'd take a lifetime to tell them."

* * *

"Okay let's open this thing" Katara said holding the thick paper on her palms.  
Zuko and Katara sat facing each other on his bedroom floor in there bed clothes.

"I know its strange, but I don't want to" Zuko said eyeing the paper.  
"Why?" Katara asked him.  
"Because I'm afraid whatever is written in there is going to make no sense whatsoever." Zuko explained dryly.  
"You're probably right." Katara agreed placing the paper between them.  
"Well that makes me feel better." Zuko said sarcastically.  
Katara giggled, "Would you like me to read it first?"  
"Yes actually, I would." Zuko said smiling at her.  
"Okay here goes." Katara said anxiously unfolding the paper.

Zuko watched her nervously as she studied the parchment resting on her lap, her large blue eyes moving side to side reading the small characters written on it.  
"Oh." was all she said.

"What's it say?" Zuko asked warily.  
Katara looked up at him, her eyes squinted slightly and her teeth covering her bottom lip.

"It says: At the briny sea she did set sail.  
To a land of much dirt and strength, but you mustn't get to lost like travelers before.  
deep, deep does she thrive as a simple leader of a simple people  
old, old is the land in which she does keep  
follow, follow you must the words of ancient elders  
guide, guide will the extended net and the heart  
in, in tian shi yuan will you find them  
to, to the great rock you must wait  
for they will find you and set you straight."

Zuko studied Katara for a moment then said, "Well that makes loads of sense."  
They both burst into mutual laughter.

* * *

A/N: I suck at writing riddles, clearly.  
I tried to use chinese astrology, I hope I didn't fail to miserably.  
I also feel like this update is crap, so sorry if it really is.

Also I'm also sorry this is so delayed, my friend writers block has been real friendly of late. So if you have any tips at all for riding of it, please do tell.  
Not to mention my laptop is a piece o crap and wouldn't let me upload.

And I set myself up a deviantart account where I'm also posting this story.  
My username on there is coonzz (coonz w/ one z was taken) add me or whatever you do on there if you want.

Please as always excuse my spelling/grammar skills, I know there appalling.

Until next time.

* * *

_Fueled by: Decode - Paramore_


	10. Chap 10

Run

* * *

Chap 10: Bixby Canyon Bridge

Katara stood on the balcony of the room staring at the early morning sky, it was one her of favorite times of day. How the blues, and greys of the sky and clouds were suddenly slashed open to reveal the blood red and dark oranges of the sun rising. The light pouring on the dark red tiled roofs of the sleepy homes in the capital, everything was dark in them except maybe a lit lamp in every other home. There was a sort of stillness in the world that made her feel like she was the only person left in the world, and that she was untouchable.

She hugged her blanket tight around her shoulders to block the crisp morning breeze from cutting her skin, she was dressed in only a thin night gown and her tan bare feet rested on the cool heaved a heavy content sigh, and turned her eyes to the room and to the sleeping person in the middle of the room on the floor.

He was laying on his stomach, an arm reaching above his head and another to his side. The red silk sheet she had gave him the middle of the night to work as a blanket was tangled and wrapped tightly across his body like he had wrapped it tightly around himself in his sleep.

She watched his bare pale back rise and fall with his breath, fascinated by his breathing patterns and the contours of muscle that were defined by the slowly rising eyes studied his sleeping face, half buried in a pillow. His brow was smooth and his mouth slightly agape and his black messy hair falling in all directions.

It struck Katara as a very odd thing that she was quite enjoying watching him sleep a person she had known for what seemed like ages, it seemed so odd yet so incredibly accurate. She remembered the night before when after they had read the riddle and had after discussing the riddle in great conversation had somehow shifted to regular conversation...

__

Katara laid on the end of his bed on her stomach, her legs in the air swaying back and forth.

"Katara?" He asked her from where he was sitting on the ground facing her.

"Hmm?" she asked, they had just finished a conversation about how growing up was for each of them, and how odd it was that neither of them grew up with a real father.

"How'd you know I was the Blue Spirit?" Zuko asked, his voice curious.

"Oh Aang told me a while ago, when you were first trying to join with us." Katara answered with a grin.

"So he told you how I rescued him from Zhoa?"

"Yes at first I thought you only did it so you could recapture Aang for yourself, and you probably thought you did too, but I think you did because you just felt bad." Katara said with a hint of a smile on her serious face.

Zuko just smirked at her theory.

"But I wonder, why did you become the Blue Spirit?" Katara asked, the comedy from her face going back to its serious.

He just shrugged in a typical Zuko fashion, "I really don't know, it was just something I did. Why did you become this Painted Lady character?" he said almost as if the evade the question.

"Ahh, well we were staying in this fishing village on this lake in the Fire Nation and this factory was polluting the water making the people sick and without food, and I wanted to help, so I sort of adopted being the Painted Lady." Katara answered.

Zuko studied her for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth across her face.

She so wished to know what he was thinking.

An awkward silence had fallen and Katara desperately wanted to end it,

"So why the "Blue" Spirit and not the "Red" Spirit?" she asked lamely, making air quotes with her fingers, "Yea know because red is your nations color?" she added bashfully.

Zuko shrugged again, "I like the color blue."

Katara smiled faintly.

Katara had fallen asleep on Zuko's bed which was terribly comfortable, it was very large so that she could sleep sideways on it and still be comfortable, Zuko had fallen asleep in the middle of the room before Katara even began to doze off, so she had covered him with the sheet.

She was sleeping quite well but in the climax of the night she was a woken by Zuko who was stirring and muttering in his sleep, he was having another nightmare.

Katara slowly crawled from the bed and across the floor to him, with a sheet still draped over her waist.

"Zuko?" she asked worriedly inching towards him on her knees, she placed her hand on his should and shook him lightly, "It's only a dream Zuko, wake up." she whispered urgently in his ear.

Zuko's gold eyes opened, they were full of panic but quickly changed to confusion, "Katara," he crocked at her, "They're getting worse."

Without even thinking Katara pulled Zuko at her, and into a hug.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her face in the bend of shoulder and neck. Though confused he returned the hug with equal vigor.

There they stayed in each others embrace, sitting on the floor, there legs tucked beneath them and red silk sheets pooling around there legs. Katara clutched on to Zuko until they began to slip into sleep.

Katara had woken up on the floor, a strong arm draped over her waist and a face pressed into her neck, Zuko's.

She quickly pulled herself from the floor and his embrace, her heart racing, and quickly walked to the balcony for fresh air.

* * *

Completely unawares of the fact that he had spooned Katara in the night, Zuko went through breakfast confused by Katara's standoffish behavior.

"What's the matter?" he finally asked her, stabbing his spoon into the grapefruit in front of him, unable to take her silence.

"Nothing, just thinking that's all." Katara asked him offering a smile.

"We'll ask Uncle about the riddle as soon as he comes down for breakfast, don't worry." Zuko explained thinking that the riddle was what she was so preoccupied with.

"Are you sure he'll even be of help to us? He didn't seem to happy about the whole thing when he gave us the riddle to begin with." Katara offered, bouncing ideas and thoughts off each other had somehow grown to be a daily habit between the two benders.

"Well the riddle said to ask your elders, and Uncle is an elder to us." Zuko, shrugged.

"I dunno." Katara frowned, chewing on her sugary fruit.

"Well good morning!" came the hearty voice of Zuko's Uncle from the entrance of the room.

"How convenient." Zuko grinned at Katara.

"How are you this morning?" Uncle asked pleasantly as if all was normal and that previous day he had not handed Zuko a key to the location of his mother.

"We're fine Uncle, but we have questions to ask." Zuko said sharply cutting straight to the point.

The cheery expression from Uncle's face quickly dissolved and was replaced by a somber one as he took his place at the table.

"I figured you might."

"What do you know of this riddle?" Zuko asked curtly, taking the paper from his pocket and slapping it down in on the table.

Uncle took the paper and read it, his brow furrowed, then a hint of smile touched his mouth.

"It's quite simple nephew, you just mustn't read to much into it." he said putting the paper back onto the table facing Zuko.

Katara reached for the paper and also re read it, "I don't know General Iroh some parts make some sense like, 'At the briny sea she did set sail.

To a land of much dirt and strength, but you mustn't get to lost like travelers before' and 'old, old is the land in which she does keep', we already discussed that all last night, it obviously means the Earth Kingdom, but the rest..." she trailed a hint of a blush rising on her cheeks when she mentioned the previous night.

"Well see! you've already figured out a big part of it!" Uncle beamed, winking at Katara.

"Yes well Uncle if you never noticed, the Earth Kingdom is huge." Zuko said dryly pinching the bridge of his nose.

"This is true," Uncle chuckled gleefully "but perhaps if you use maps you'll be able to pinpoint where." he added, an eyebrow cocked, looking slyly at his nephew.

"I guess that means we need to find a library Zuko." Katara giggled, looking at the odd face his Uncle was making.

"Suppose so, come on Katara." Zuko said standing from his chair and beckoning Katara with his hand to follow him. They walked in a comfortable silence through the corridors, their hands bumping occasionally causing heat to rise to Zuko's cheeks.

"The city library would be better, we don't have many up to date maps in the study." Zuko explained, looking down at the water tribe girl walking next to him.

"You sure? I feel like a old map will work better since the riddle mentions old stuff a lot." Katara said returning his gaze, locking there eyes, sending a chill down Zuko's spine.

The two benders walked to his study and took there places, the ones they had not on purpose assigned to themselves.

He at his desk, and she leaning against the side of the desk, each with a map in hand.

They read and re read maps until mid-day when something had dawned on Zuko.

"Hold on a second," he muttered more to himself then anyone else, he walked across the room and pulled out a map of the sky.

"I thought tian shi yuan sounded familiar." he said again to himself.

"What?" Katara asked, casting aside her scroll and standing next to him leaning over his shoulder, staring down at the map he was now studying.

"Here," Zuko pointed to a cluster of stars in the south east hemisphere "the tian shi yuan"

"They're stars?" Katara asked taking a closer look, dragging her finger across the drawing and characters.

"Yea, and I bet you the extended net and heart are constellations." Zuko said excitedly, practically running to the shelves to find a scroll on constellations.

He felt Katara searching next to him, not quite as frantic as he was but still at a hurried pace.

"Here!" he heard her call, snatching a scroll from a lower shelf and darting back to his desk and unrolling it.

Zuko joined her at her side and scanned the dark blue paper tracing his finger under each name.

He located them, "Look!" he said excitedly, jabbing a pointer finger and his pinky at the two constellations. "They're in the ends of tian shi yuan!"

Zuko and Katara smiled happily at each other, proud of there discovery.

"So now all we have to do is find out what lies in those quadrants, and go there." Katara said giddily, bouncing on her toes in excitement.

Zuko pulled up a map of the Earth Kingdom from the bottom of a stack of scrolls he had been reading, he put the map of stars and constellations above the one of the Earth Kingdom and guided his finger from the extended net and heart down the the other map.

He heard Katara inhale sharply, "Spirits no."

Zuko read the name on the map, "Won Shi Ton Desert."

* * *

Katara was sitting in her room at the desk writing a letter to Aang, a letter that she would make a copy of to send to Sokka.

The letter read that she was going to venture into Wan Shi Ton Desert with Zuko to help him find his mother, and if she were not back within the month to come after them, knowing the perils of the barren wasteland as they had once traveled it before.

A small part of Katara almost wanted to tell Zuko just to send some of the military after his mother so he'd remain safe, but she knew deep down that if it were her mother she would want to find her, herself.

She had woken up that morning knowing later in the day she and Fire Lord would set off on a quest to the bowels of the Earth Kingdom so she had packed lightly,

only the clothes on her back, a change of Fire Nation clothes, and four water skins filled to the brim.

Katara had spent almost a month in the Fire Nation and it felt extremely odd leaving it, she felt just like she had felt when she had left the South Pole all those years ago to rescue Aang, ironically from Zuko. For whom she was growing dangerously fond of as much as she'd like to deny it.

There was a soft knock on her door, "Come in." she answered.

Katara watched the door as General Iroh entered the room.

"I hear you and Zuko are going to be setting off today." the old man smiled grimly.

"Yes, to the desert in the Earth Kingdom." Katara said the words sticking to the back of her throat, she was not fond of the sandy place.

Iroh smiled weakly at her, then pulled her into a bear hug, "Be safe little water bender," he said softly "and take care of my nephew." he added, his eyes sparkling with tears threatening to spill.

"Don't worry I will." Katara chocked, not even attempting not to cry.

Katara flung her pack over her shoulder and left her room and walked to the turtle duck pond, where she knew she'd find him.

Zuko sat at the edge of the turtle duck pond throwing chunks of bread off a roll in at them.

"Hey Zuko," Katara said, sitting down next to him, pulling a chunk of bread off the roll in his hand. "We need to leave soon." she said tossing small pieces at the creatures swimming in the pond.

Zuko only grunted in reply, his eyes downcast, Katara could feel the worry coming off him like waves.

She inched closer to him, taking the roll entirely from his hand and placing it on the ground, she took hold of his hand and twined there fingers together, and rested her head gently on his shoulder and whispered, "We'll find her Zuko, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Katara." he said resting his own head lightly on hers.

Still holding hands, the two benders rose from the ground, and walked to the entrance courtyard where there transportation awaited.

Sitting idly on the stone ground there was a medium sized war balloon. It wasn't as small as the one Zuko had used to track them down at the Western Air Temple, nor was it as large as the one Azula has used. It was a happy medium.

"How're we going to power that?" Katara asked looking up at Zuko.

"I will be powering it, not you." he answered as the slowly approached the vessel.

"We've improved the design, rather then using a constant burning flame to power it, we set coals on fire and the steam makes it fly, so all I have to do it light coal every few three or four hours." he explained to her, guiding her to the entrance of the machine.  
"Where will we sleep and stuff?" she asked feeling rather stupid.

"Well since its a war balloon there's technically no bedrooms, but I had the break room set up with cots for us. And as far as food goes, there's a fully stocked galley." he explained, pulling open the heavy metal door of the body of the balloon.  
The inside of the craft reminded Katara very much of the drill that tried to break through the walls of Ba Sing Se during the war. Cold, metallic and all machinery she did not understand.

"This way," Zuko said tugging on her hand to follow him up the metal stairs "the lower level is all machinery and the loading bay, the upper level is where we'll be most of the time --- wait for me in the cockpit?" he said pointing to the door behind her.  
"Wait where are you doing?" Katara asked sounding suddenly frightened to be alone in the hunk of metal.  
"To light the coal." Zuko smiled at her, removing his hand from her's.

Katara wandered around the cockpit of the balloon, staring at the nobs and switches hoping that Zuko knew how to fly the thing.  
The vessel shook and creaked as it began to rise from the ground, Katara briefly lost her balance and clutched on the steering wheel of the machine.

"I'm steering." she heard the familiar raspy voice of Zuko come from behind her, a smile on his face, as he helped her stand properly.  
Katara met his gaze, her pulse quickened and heat crept to her cheeks as his eyes locked on with hers.

* * *

A/N: Didya like the slight Zutara goodness?

hope so!

A lot of you guys are asking for more romance, but you gotta remember Zuko and Katara's relationship is built on subtle moments.

They're not gonna throw themselves at each other, it has to be a slow sweet process.

Anyways, sorry for the delay.

I've got a bunch of personal dilemmas that I've been dealing with (boys, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.)

plus my writers block has taken a new height, I feel like this whole chapter was forced. Sure hope it doesn't read forced though D;

Well you know the drill!

Until next time.

(p.s. idk why all the sentences have so many spaces between them, the site wont let me fix it)

_________________________

__

Fueled by: Bixby Canyon Bridge - Death cab for cutie

(note on song: 'Narrow stairs' is an epic failure for death cab, but the song seemed to help get the words out.)


	11. Chap 11

Run.

* * *

Chap 11: Glósóli

They had been on the airship for one day and the air surrounding the firebender and waterbender was tense with anxiety.  
The Fire Lord was constantly thinking and planning, pouring over maps and atlases. While the waterbender watched him toil, worrying about his well being.

Katara stood at one of the panels of controls in the cockpit, holding the wheel steady she watched Zuko as he read and re-read maps, his face was etched with worry.  
"Zuko?" she asked him softly, trying to break his concentration, "Zuko?" she asked again a little more loudly and less patiently.  
"Yes?" the young man asked her without removing his eyes from the maps.  
"Stop worrying, I've traveled the desert before and I'm still alive" Katara said, her back leaning against the wheel, watching Zuko as he sat hunched over a low table strewn in maps.  
"Yea...but you had the avatar then." he replied bitterly under his breath.

Katara sighed loudly, walked over to Zuko and took his hand, "Come with me" she said pulling at him trying to get him to stand.  
"Katara," he murmured slightly annoying, he looked up and meet her eyes which were pleading with him to take a break "fine." he said giving in.  
Katara led Zuko to the deck of the airship where in typical situations soldiers would be posted.  
There fingers still intertwined Katara commanded, "Look at the view."

"What about it? We've seen these views before on Appa and on boats." Zuko protested trying to turn to leave, but Katara held tighter to his hand forbidding his escape.  
He groaned in annoyance showing defeat, Katara flashed him a wide smile, "Okay now relax and enjoy the view with me." her voice was tinted with laughter as she observed his annoyed expression.  
Surrounding the two benders was a scenery of ocean blending into a beach and a beach blending into a lush wood, with mountains as the backdrop and the sky was painted a clear blue of the midday.  
Katara leaned into him slightly and smiled.

They stood like that for several minutes when Katara decided to break the silence, she turned to face him. Her large blue eyes studied his face. Zuko looked down at her with confusion in his eyes.  
Katara slowly reached her free hand to his face and gently placed it on his scar, she could feel him tense up quickly at he sudden contact the slowly relax under her fingers.

The skin was oddly smooth but bumpy, she realized in all the years of knowing him that she hardly even noticed his scar and not just because his hair covered the most of it, she mainly saw just saw him. Somehow to her the scar just made his appearance more appealing, with the mystery of how he'd look without it, in the corner of her mind where she stored her attraction to Zuko Katara knew he'd be devastatingly handsome.

"How'd you get it?" she asked breaking her thoughts, she slowly trailed her fingers down it then removed her hand completely. Katara studied his face in hopes that asking wouldn't upset him as she knew his scar was something he guarded heavily.

Zuko's eyes shifted from her then to the ground then to the ocean below, he inhaled loudly "My father."

* * *

Not far from the airship in a small town of the Earth Kingdom a large white air bison slammed to the ground of a large houses courtyard causing the earth to shake.  
A boy leaped lightly off the animal and stormed the front door of the home and slammed a fist into it, "Open up!" he yelled.  
The door swung open and he marched in, sitting on the floor of the main room sipping on tea was a girl his same age, her black hair was pulled up on her head and her bangs that were formerly worn in her face were tucked behind her ears.  
"Well hello there twinkle toes, or should I say big foot with all that stomping around your doing." the girl said, as she turned to face him.

"SHE DUMPED ME!" the avatar yelled pacing around in a rage.

Toph just nodded nonchalantly at the boy.  
"Why aren't you saying anything?! You always have something to say!" he barked at her.  
"This is true, but I don't know how you never knew it wasn't coming" she said sitting back down on her cushion and continued picking at her feet.

"and what's that supposed to mean?!" Aang yelled sending a gust of air at the small earthbender.

"I mean exactly what I said twinkle toes, it was going to happen sooner or later, she was clearly unhappy." Toph explained, without a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"How can you be so fine with this?! Katara was destined to be with ME not HIM!" Aang screamed pointing at himself then waving his arms about to represent 'him'.

"Who's him? I thought that Jet guy died, and I think the Haru thing lasted two minutes" Toph mocked, as she had always known since the Eastern Air Temple four years ago who "him" was.

Aang just stared at Toph in bewilderment, he couldn't fathom how she could be so nonchalant at something he deemed to be a travesty.

"Zuko, Toph, that's who" Aang seethed through clenched teeth.

The earthbender shrugged, "First of all Aang, you don't know if they're together, together. Second of all, he has a girlfriend named Mai. Third of all, you never owned her."

Aang's mouth hung open for a brief moment as he swallowed down what she had just said, it occurred to him that Katara and Zuko could never possibly be together, together that was just an absurd idea. It also occurred to him that Toph was right, he didn't own Katara as much as he seemed to have acted.

"Now take a deep breath Twinkle Toes and have some tea and tell me everything that happened." Toph said in a teasing sort of tone.  
After explaining what happened at the Air Temple, Aang felt as if a weight had been lifted off him.

"Thanks for listening Toph." Aang breathed. "No problem." she replied.

Aang studied the blind girls face for a moment, "So what'd you mean by 'it was going to happen'" he asked.

"Meaning, you guys breaking up, or Katara running to Zuko?" she asked.

"Wait that also was referred to Zuko?!" Aang snapped at her, standing up.

Toph made a frustrated noise, "You and Katara breaking up was bound to happen, first of all I don't know if you're aware but you started to date her when you were THIRTEEN and she SIXTEEN, can you subtract? because that's a big age difference!" Toph was now standing and facing down Aang.

"And regarding Zuko, they've always gotten along well, I don't know if you ever picked it up but they always end up with each other, even Haru could see it at the Air Temple when we stayed there!"

Aang stared at her with a aghast expression forgetting for a moment that she was blind, "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"It means didn't you ever notice that they hung out with each other a lot? when we ate, they'd sit with each other, when it was either turn to get firewood they'd to together, they'd watch each other practice bending and even when we left there and went to ember island they did the same just more so because Katara wasn't as mad at him, they have a strong connection I can feel it whenever they're near each other." Toph explained.

"How is that even possible? she hated him most of the time he was with us!" Aang said incapable of comprehending the possibility that Katara had a stronger sense of companionship with Zuko then him.

"Whatever happened in those caves of Ba Sing Se set the tone, that's all I know because when we saw that play at Ember Island they're vibrations went crazy."

Toph shrugged, not caring much about the details of Zuko and Katara's relationship, she had already sensed the potential when she first felt them in the same area.

"This is so wrong" Aang said falling to the ground and hiding his face in his hands, Toph slowly approached him and sat down next to the last airbender.

"It's okay Aang, there's other girls out there ya know" she said lightheartedly, resting a small hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Katara stared at Zuko with wide shocked eyes, "Your father?" she choked out.

"Yes, my father." Zuko replied turning his gaze away from the water bender.  
"I don't understand..." she trailed softly, the hurt and confusion in her voice caused him to return his eyes to hers, causing her breath to catch in her throat at the sight of sharpness in his eyes.

"When I was thirteen I attended a war meeting with my Uncle, one of the generals plans were inhumane so I spoke out against it, as punishment I was to fight in a Agni Kai, I originally thought I'd be fighting the general so I wasn't worried but it ended up being my father I had to fight, since it was his war room I offended.  
I asked for forgiveness, but he refused to accept it. So he burnt me, marking me as a traitor and as a banished Prince without honor"  
Zuko told her, his voice distant.

"You never lost your honor Zuko." Katara said quietly, she approached him slowly and gently wrapped her arms around his middle pulling him to a hug, which he slowly accepted and hugged back fiercely. Katara rested her head on his warm chest and listened to his heart beat slowly, only knowing hers was racing.

Zuko was sitting on a wooden stool in the galley he sat in front of a steaming bowl of juk he had poured for himself, while slowly spooning the gooey substance in his mouth he stared down the untouched bowl of juk opposite of him that he had poured for Katara.

"What's for dinner?" he heard a female voice ask him, "Juk, as always." he replied without taking his eyes off her bowl.  
"I think we're going to want to stop in a town before we start our trek in the desert, we can't make juk out there, its to hot." she said, sitting down in front of him and grabbing her spoon.

Zuko blinked taking in his companions appreance, she had changed from her Water Tribe clothes and replaced them with Fire Nation's.  
Zuko caught himself drinking in her appearance, he always had a liking for her in reds.  
Katara wore a dark red halter top that was cut short revealing a sliver of her taunt tan belly, the bottom of her outfit was very relevant to what Ty Lee wore but in the same dark red of top.  
Zuko's eyes trailed up her arms and shoulders and to her back back, he swallowed back the lump in his throat and shook away his unapproved thoughts.  
"Why did you change?" he asked, hastily shoving a spoonful of juk into his mouth.

"Well it's to hot in the desert to wear my normal robes, they don't breathe the same as the Fire Nation's clothes do." Katara explained, looking down at her new outfit.  
"Well, our summer's can get very warm, so its required I suppose." Zuko stated.  
Katara smiled at him, "So to-morrow we'll get supplies then continue on our way?" she asked.  
"Yea, of course." he replied vacantly.

A silence fell amongst them and all could be heard was the hissing and creaking of the airship.  
"So I've been wondering, how are we going to get around the desert when we get there?" Katara asked curiously.  
"Oh a komodo dragon." Zuko answered her, meeting her eyes waiting for her reaction.  
"Those big lizard things that Azula would use? Won't it get overheated?" Katara asked, worry slipping into her voice.  
"No, they can go weeks without water and they can carry a person for several days without getting tired," he explained to her "and since we're probably not going to ride for days straight it should be okay."  
Zuko studied Katara's face for moment seeing the worry on her frowning mouth, he reached out his hand and placed it on hers resting on the wood table, "We'll be alright, you said so yourself." he smiled at the water bender.

Zuko landed the airship in the outskirts of the town they were headed to, to get further supplies for there journey.  
It was a small secluded Earth Kingdom town, the houses were small with thatched roofs and glassless windows.  
The villagers on the streets watched Zuko and Katara keenly as they walked down the dirt streets, to the villagers eyes they saw a finely dressed, mismatched couple with a serious and nervous face.  
They walked closely to each other as if they strayed apart from each other for but a moment they would be desperately lost without each other.

"Let's just get food and whatever else and leave." Zuko said tersely from the corner of his mouth.  
"Mkay." was Katara's sole reply.  
The travelers located a market, and were quietly browsing the selection.

"We need to get food that requires little water to cook it with, or better yet food that doesn't require cooking at all." Katara said as Zuko was weighing bags of rice.  
"Then jerky might be the best way to go." he said dropping the bags.

All together they grabbed four bags of jerky, four melons and a small bag of assorted nuts. "This should be enough to last us a week if we ration properly." Katara said to Zuko as they paid, "Let's hope so, I don't want to be out there for longer then a week." he said sourly. "I don't think we will be." Katara said reassuringly squeezing his hand, a gesture he realized she was doing a lot recently.

They walked cautiously to the airship, they has encountered no problems in the village thus far and did not intend too.  
"I feel as if we're being watched." Katara whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Zuko, who's eyes were darting back and forth examining there surroundings.

"Me too, that and followed, stay close." he responded tensely.  
Zuko felt as if eyes were boring in his back, he knew that some people might recognize him being Fire Lord, but if so he expected a welcome of some kind, not just stares.

Zuko felt Katara snatch his hand and squeeze it tightly and inhale sharply, he looked around in worry as to what she could of possible saw.

"Well, well look what we have here." said a smooth male voice.

Zuko broke his thoughts and searched for the owner of the voice, standing in the center of the dusty street stood Jet.  
Zuko stared at the freedom fighter in disbelief, Sokka had told him that he had died at the hands of the Dai Lee.

He turned his glance to Katara, she was clearly as shocked as he was, her large blue eyes were wide, her mouth dropped open and a blush working it's way onto her cheeks.  
"Jet?" she said in barely a whisper.

The freedom fighter smiled haughtily at her, and sent a sneer to Zuko.  
The tall boy sauntered over to them.

"I'd told you I'd be alright didn't I Katara" Jet said keeping his focus solely on her, causing Zuko to feel a slight twinge in his gut as Jet eyed Katara so hungrily that openly, and the slight twinge only worsened as he saw Katara swoon ever so slightly to the boy's charm.

"How are you alive?" Katara asked, the shock still written on her face.

"Longshot and Smellerbee got me out of the caves and to a healer. I was out for a week, the internal damage was pretty bad." Jet explained with a wave of his hand like it was all no big deal that he could of died.

Zuko continued to stare down Jet as he chatted with Katara, he was never fond of the freedom fighter as he tried to accuse him and his Uncle of being fire benders back in ba sing se and get them arrested.  
"Come on Katara, let's go." Zuko said hastily pulling on the girls arm, trying to get her to come with him.

"But Jet just invited us to dinner!" Katara said turning to finally face him, "But we've got to keep going, we're almost there." Zuko practically pleaded with her.

"Ah come on Lee, just some dinner." Jet said jumping into the conversation a sly grin plastered on his face.

"Fine." Zuko grumbled angrily, giving into the pairs pleading.

* * *

A/N: UGH sorry for the delay. I've been so distracted lately being the summer holiday and all.

I hope this update was up to par, I feel like it was really weak.

I wanted to bring Jet back for a bit, see if he can add to the plot, he's an annoying little fucker after all, always stirring up trouble, but you gotta love him for it anyway ahha.

I also brought back Aang and Toph, I thought they needed to be in the story for a bit just to add in slight Taang action.

Also, I got bored the other night and drew some Zutara fan art, I am the worst artist known to man but I think I did a alright job considering my normal attempts. and yes I took a picture of it with my webcam, I don't own a scanner.

(take out spaces obvz) Linkage: http : / / Coonzz . deviantart . com / art / Southern - Raiders -hug - 132628030

and if that didn't work it's on my deviantart account, my screen name is 'coonzz'

If you're interested in seeing it haha

yea so I think that's all..........OH if you've never had nutella, you need to go to publix to the peanut butter isle and get some right now! you will not be sorry.

and as always please forgive my spelling/grammar

until next time

* * *

Fueled by: glósóli - sigur ros


End file.
